A Little Problem
by Dark Princess Of Daydreaming
Summary: Earth's Mightiest Heroes are getting older...and SHIELD intends to fix that. But then the Avengers get a little TOO young and suddenly Pepper is left to deal with a bunch of children ages 3-15. Very cute...but poor Pepper! A rogue SHIELD agent and a 14-year-old mischief god add to the trouble. A little clintasha and pepperony among other stuff.
1. Prologue: The Anti-Aging Solution

**Prologue: The Anti-Aging Project**

_Tony Stark (Iron Man)_

"You may be wondering why we've called you here today," Nick Fury began gravely, looking out at the group of scientists and other intellectuals, which included both Tony himself and his fellow Avenger, Bruce Banner. "The truth is," he continued, "Many of Earth's Mightiest Heroes are getting older, so need to figure out what we are going to do about it. There've been many solutions, such as just finding new recruits or developing an aging solution. But we need to explore several options. If you've been called here today, than you will be working in one of several groups to attempt to find a solution."

"I think I'm offended," Tony whispered not so softly to Bruce.

"Face it, Tony, it's true," Bruce replied. "You don't see any difference in Thor or that much difference in Steve, but the rest of us are getting closer to retirement." Tony hated that it was true, but he had noticed this himself lately. "Let's go get our assignments," Bruce added.

…

Tony stood in the conference room with his fellow Avengers. Bruce sat at the table, reading something about the Anti-Aging Project; Clint stood with his arm around Natasha, the two talking quietly; Thor was laughing loudly at something Steve had said, both of them looking annoyingly young.

"Why do you think we were called here?" Tony tried, hoping for some information. Privately, he wondered if this was something about the Anti-Aging Project.

"Maybe they have a mission for us," Steve offered.

A moment later, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent entered the room, leading Pepper and a woman Tony though was named Jane Foster. Both had strangely blank expressions that made Tony feel suddenly worried.

"Please come with me," the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent said pleasantly. They followed her to a much smaller, emptier room, where she left them, promising that "Fury will be there in just a moment."

The door locked behind her with an ominous _click_, and Tony began to get a very bad feeling. He hadn't realized quite how disconcerting the room looked. It was very dark, with no windows, and the walls, floor, and ceiling were coated in some strange-textured paint. Stark also noticed a couple of vents which seemed to be letting off some thick, white gas.

"They're trying to poison us!" he yelled, grabbing for the door. He realized there was no doorknob.

Thor ran at the door and tried to use his superhuman strength to force it open, but then a strange look came over his face and he drowsily slumped to the ground, rubbing his eyes. The same thing was happening to all of them. Pepper and Jane Foster had passed out right away, just suddenly dropping to the floor and sending Tony into a panic. Bruce seemed to be unable to transform, as he just turned faintly green and landed on top of Thor, who didn't move. Natasha tried to hold her breath, but she couldn't do that forever, and Clint was already leaning heavily on her, looking sleepy and weighing her down. They both slid to the ground too. The last things Tony saw before the fog of sleep closed over his eyes were Steve pushing desperately against the door, his extra strength all but useless, and a man in green who looked very familiar suddenly stepping out of the shadows and falling down like everyone else.

…

Tony sat up slowly, feeling confused because everything was very bright. He sat on top of a plain white bed and wore only a white t-shirt and shorts. There was a circle of blue light on his chest that scared him a little bit. He looked around, expecting to see his mom or dad somewhere.

The room was full of white beds like his and a bunch of equipment like they had at the doctor's office. On the bed to his left was a boy slightly older than him with curly black hair. _Bruce_, he thought for some reason. That boy was his friend. On the bed to his left was a younger boy, maybe three or four, with blond hair. _Steve_, he thought.

He looked around some more. There was a very pretty younger girl with red hair, another boy with light brown hair, an older boy with blond hair, another older boy with black hair, and two grown-up girls, one with dark brown hair and one with red hair. Somehow he knew all of their names: Natasha, Clint, Thor, Loki, Jane, and Pepper. Jane and Pepper weren't lying down like everyone else though. They were talking to some other grown-ups and looking very worried and serious.

"Pepper!" Tony called, since he liked her best. She turned around and all of the grown-ups looked at him. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Oh, Tony," she whispered, sounding sad for some reason. He tried to get up, but some lady who looked like a doctor hurried over and held him down.

"I want to go give Pepper a hug," he protested. "She looks sad and I like her. I don't want her to be sad." He couldn't explain quite why Pepper mattered so much.

"Fury, what am I supposed to do?" Pepper asked the man next to her. He had much darker skin and looked a lot older than her. Tony wondered if his name was really 'Fury,' because that meant angry (he remembered his dad saying), and that man didn't look angry, just worried.

"I was hoping you could take care of them," Fury told her. "Jane will help you, and I'll make sure there is extra security installed for their safety. But until we located the agent who brought you all in, I don't want to risk keeping them here."

"Even Loki?" Pepper asked. Now she looked really upset, but Tony didn't say anything because he knew the grown-ups didn't want him to interrupt.

"Yes. We can't have him running around here either."

Pepper sighed and looked over at Tony. "I guess I don't have much of a choice. I couldn't bear it if something else happened to them."

At that moment, the blond boy named Thor sat up. "Where's my hammer?" he demanded.


	2. Chapter 1: Can I Have a Bow?

**Chapter 1: Can I have a bow?**

_Pepper Potts_

Pepper sat at the kitchen table, her head on her hand, pretending to read, but really reflecting about the awful turn of events today. She'd been told that her presence was needed at S.H.I.E.L.D., which wasn't bad, but then she'd arrived and everything got messed up. She'd been taken to a medical room and forcibly given some kind of drug which made her feel extremely dull and slow, as well as making her feel like she'd suddenly aged at least 10 years. Then she and Jane Foster had been taken to some dark room with the Avengers, and as soon as the door closed, she'd started to feel even worse. She'd immediately felt drowsy and fallen over, but she couldn't control her limbs at all and she'd felt like she couldn't breathe. In that moment, Pepper had been sure she was going to die. Upon waking up, she'd discovered that her body had been returned to the state it had been in when she was somewhere between 20 and 25, and the same with Jane. Both of them had also kept their memories. But the Avengers had all been reverted to child-like states, both mentally and physically, though the actual age seemed to vary.

According to Nick Fury, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Tessa Rundle had pulled off this scheme. She was a brilliant scientist who had created the anti-aging drug, managed to call all of the Avengers, plus Loki, Jane Foster, and herself to S.H.I.E.L.D., and administer the drug before anyone realized what was happening, as well as evade capture. Now no one had any idea how to reverse the effects.

Pepper had asked why she and Jane Foster had only been reverted to young adults, but after telling their story, they'd been told the drug given to them beforehand had been designed to slow the "anti-aging" process and allow them to keep their memories. And the Avengers were now all different ages because of their prior differences in age and state. It also seemed that the ones who were completely human had been most affected.

…

"So, why don't you tell us your names, your ages, and a little bit about yourselves," Pepper suggested to the seven children sitting in front of her, wondering if they actually knew their ages. But she figured this was the best way to see how much they remembered.

"You go first," said Steve, who looked even smaller than before, since he was next to Thor.

"Alright," Pepper agreed. "I'm Pepper and I'm 23," she said, stumbling on the 23 because she'd never thought she'd say that again. "I'm Tony's boss and I enjoy…cooking."

"The Lady Jane should go next," Thor said firmly, and they all turned to look at Jane.

"I'm Jane, I'm 22, and I like science," she said, seeming slightly awkward with the kids.

Steve happily went next. "I'm Steve and I'm uh…three! And a half! I like red and white and blue," he said, pointing the t-shirt he wore, which had a picture of his shield on it. "And helping people," he added.

Natasha, who sat next to him, turned to look at Pepper with intelligent green eyes. "My name's Natasha and I'm five. Clint's my best friend and I like doing gymnastics." She pronounced the word carefully and poked Clint lightly in the belly.

"Hey! I'm Clint and I don't like being poked!" he exclaimed. "But I do like archery and I want a bow and lots and lots of arrows! I'm six," he added as an afterthought. Then he put his head on Natasha's shoulder and she poked him again.

"I am Thor! I am about 15 in your Earth years and I can control lightning. I like Lady Jane and the thing you call coffee. It is marvelous!" No one knew quite what to say to this proclamation, so they quickly moved on.

"My name is Loki, I'm 14 years old, and I enjoy causing mischief," Loki said quietly, his eyes gleaming. They didn't know what to say to that either.

Bruce looked at Loki uneasily. "My name is Bruce and I'm 7 years old. I enjoy reading and quiet.

"I'm Tony!" Tony said immediately. "I'm 6 and I like flying and machinery and Pepper!" he grinned up at her cheekily.

"Okay then," Pepper said. "Well, why don't we…"

"I'm hungry," Tony interrupted.

"I guess it's dinnertime then," Pepper said, restraining a sigh and forcing a smile. "What do you guys want?"

"Coffee!" Thor exclaimed immediately.

"French fries," Clint decided. "And a bow. And lots and lots of arrows. But not to eat, because that would be yucky."

"Uh…cake!" Steve said eagerly.

"Pasta?" Natasha suggested.

"Pizza," Bruce said quietly.

"Ice cream." Tony said firmly. They all looked at each other and started arguing.

"Okay! Be quiet!" Pepper spoke over them. They didn't hear her.

"One…" Jane began. "Two…" They stopped, and Pepper looked at her with new respect. "Loki, what would you like?" Jane asked, since he was the only one who hadn't said anything.

"I don't care," he said moodily.

"Alright then. Uh, no cake, no coffee, and no ice cream," Pepper decided. The kids who'd picked those looked disappointed. "And Clint, you can't just have French fries."

"Can I have a bow?" He really wanted that bow, Pepper thought wearily.

"Maybe later," she told him, and looked down disappointedly. Then he straightened. "Can I sit next to Natasha? Please?"

Pepper could stop a chuckle from escaping. "Yes, that's fine. And I think we'll have macaroni and cheese for lunch, okay?" There was a general chorus of agreement.

"May I help, Lady Pepper?" Thor demanded. "I would like to see this cheese and macaroni food!" Pepper had a moment of panic and frantically looked at Jane.

"I think Pepper's got it. She likes cooking, remember? Why don't you help us pick a bedroom for everyone, since Stark Tower is so big and you're the oldest?"

Thor thought for a minute. "This way everyone!"

"Other way," Jane murmured.

"Will there be a bow in my room?" Pepper heard Clint ask as they walked off.

* * *

**Author's Note: This story is a lot of fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2: Bedtime

**Chapter 2: Bedtime**

_Natasha Romanoff (The Black Widow)_

Pepper was stressed, Natasha decided. Or she didn't like bedtimes with six boys to take care of, which Natasha felt was very reasonable. Boys did weird things and got in trouble a lot, especially Tony. He was a "problem child."

"Okay, it's time to brush your teeth," Pepper said tiredly. Ever since cleaning macaroni and cheese dinner off of Steve, Pepper had said everything tiredly. Natasha felt bad. She decided to try and be good.

"Okay, Pepper. C'mon Clint!" she said, grabbing his hand. They ran over to Pepper.

"What color toothbrushes do you guys want?" Pepper asked. She showed them a box with nine in it – Natasha counted.

"Purple," Clint said immediately. By now, the others were wandering over.

"I would like red, Lady Pepper!" Thor exclaimed.

"Hey! I want red! Pepper, give _me _red!" Tony protested. Pepper sighed.

"You could have pink," Natasha suggested reasonably. "It's sorta like red."

"The _you_ have pink!"

"I want black!"

"But pink is girly!" Tony whined loudly. "And you're a _girl_!" He stuck out his tongue at her. Natasha glared.

"I don't want pink!"

"Yeah, she doesn't want pink, Tony!" Clint said, crossing his arms and stepping in front of her. He glared at Tony too.

"Clint, I can't see," Natasha whispered loudly.

"Oops. " He shifted. "But she still doesn't have to have pink!"

"Calm down," Pepper sighed. Clint here's your purple toothbrush. Natasha here's your black one. Thor, I'm going to give Tony the red one because he's younger, okay?"

Thor sighed and Tony looked too smug. "That is okay, Lady Pepper," Thor sighed. Natasha was surprised. Maybe Thor realized how tired Pepper was and didn't want to fight.

"Blue?" Steve asked hopefully.

"Here's the blue one, little guy," Pepper said kindly. Then she turned to Bruce and Loki.

"You should have green," Loki told Bruce, his eyes gleaming.

"No. I don't want green," Bruce said, frowning. "Green means Hulk. Hulk means smashing stuff." He looked down, like he was sad.

"Green," Loki insisted.

"No green!"

"Green. It makes sense," Loki said.

"NO GREEN!"

"Green."

"BRUCE…DON'T…WANT…GREEN!" Bruce yelled. He started turning green and getting bigger.

"Uh-oh," Natasha said, backing away.

"I want a bow," Clint said sadly. Natasha put an arm around him to make him feel better.

"The Hulk wants green," said Loki, not looking at all scared.

"HULK DON'T WANT GREEN!"

"Loki, why?" Tony demanded. Loki just chuckled.

"Bruce!" Natasha said, stepping forward carefully. "Don't worry. You won't have the green one. Loki will. You can have yellow."

"DON'T WANT GREEN!"

"No green," Clint promised. "No no no green. Bad green."

"BAD GREEN!"

"Bad green," Natasha agreed. "Please come back, Bruce."

"You are scaring Lady Pepper," Thor agreed. Tony stepped protectively in front of Pepper.

Then Bruce turned back into Bruce, and Natasha would've hugged him but he wasn't wearing any clothes and that would be weird. She looked away, because that was polite.

"Bruce is naked," Steve giggled nervously. Natasha frowned, but he was three.

"Come on, Bruce," Pepper said, "let's go get you dressed. And you can have the yellow toothbrush, okay?"

"Okay," said Bruce quietly.

The rest of them went to one of the bathrooms to brush their teeth, supervised by Jane. Unfortunately, despite their being two sinks, it was crowded.

"Tony! I can't see!" Clint protested.

"Move, Tony," Natasha told him, frowning.

He said something like, "Shawshnospwash," because his mouth was full of toothpaste. Then Thor, who was standing over Steve, accidentally spit out some of his toothpaste on Steve's head.

"No no no!" Steve exclaimed, trying to wipe it off and only spreading it into more of his hair.

"Bad Thor," Natasha snapped.

"I am sorry, little Steve," Thor said with a frown, as Jane took a wet towel to Steve's head. She whispered something to him kindly and the little kid giggled.

"Alright, Clint and Natasha, why don't you go to the bathroom closer to your rooms?" Jane suggested. Natasha grabbed Clint's hand and they left before Thor could get toothpaste on them too.

…

Natasha and Clint had chosen rooms right next to each other, and while they waited for Pepper to come make them go to bed, they sat in Clint's room, drawing on a piece of paper.

"Natasha? Clint?" Pepper asked, sticking her head in.

"Yes, Pepper?"

"Clint, I have pajamas for you. Natasha, yours are on your bed. Why don't you go change?"

"Okay," she said, hopping up.

Her PJs were weird, black with a lot of little As, which Pepper and Jane seemed to find weirdly amusing, but Natasha decided not to ask why. She could see why they found Tony's funny though

"Alright, everyone!" Pepper called. "Time for bed!"

…

"G'night, Pepper," Natasha murmured, yawning. "I'm sorry we make so much trouble."

Pepper laughed for some reason. "It's okay, Natasha. Goodnight." She turned off the light and Natasha curled up in the big bed, drifting off to sleep…

…Only to be awoken not much later.

"Tasha! Tasha!"

"What is it?" Natasha murmured sleepily.

"I can't sleep."

"Why not?" Natasha asked, more awake now.

"Nightmares. There's dark and Loki and a bright blue cube. And pain," he whispered. Natasha put her arm around him and he climbed up and curled up next to her.

"It's okay, Clint," she whispered.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be scared." He fell asleep a few minutes later.


	4. Chapter 3: Bickering

**Author's Note: I'M SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN SO LONG! I've been busy and stuck. Anyway, let me know waht you think and I promise the next chapter will be up soon.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Bickering**

_Pepper Potts_

Pepper woke up to a lot of shouting.

"Mine!"

"No it's mine!"

"Tony give it back to him!"

"Tony!"

"No!"

"Hey!"

"Don't hit!"

"I want my pillow!"

"Tony!"

Pepper groaned and reluctantly climbed out of her nice, comfy bed to go see what the problem was. Tony had, of course, started it, but she still wasn't prepared for what she found.

A bunch of white feathers floated in the air or lay scattered around the room. Tony stood on a chair, holding two pillows high up in the air so that Steve, who was starting to cry, couldn't reach it. Clint was hitting Tony with _his_ pillow, Natasha was standing on the chair beside Tony, trying to reach just a little bit higher, and Bruce stood a short distance away, looking worried.

"What is going on here?" demanded Thor, entering the room. Pepper resisted a groan.

"Tony took Steve's pillow," Natasha said angrily.

"It's my pillow," Tony protested. Loki entered the room, chuckling as he saw the feathers.

"Okay," Pepper said, deciding to take charge. "Tony, give the pillow to Steve. Nicely!" she added, as he moved to drop it on the younger boy's head. Tony scowled. "Jane, " she added, as the other woman entered the room, "why don't you go make breakfast? I'll take them to get their presents."

"Alright," Jane said.

"Presents?" Tony asked curiously.

"That's right," Pepper said. "Come on." And all seven of them followed her curiously into the other room,

S.H.I.E.L.D. had given her a large package including some things like the toothbrushes, kids soap and shampoo, and clothes for the young Avengers. But they had also included some toys.

There was a bin of Legos and (to Pepper's dismay) a bunch of Nerf guns and darts for them to share. There was also a bow and rubber arrows for Clint, a little shield for Steve, some basic math books for Bruce and possibly Tony, a toy hammer for Thor, and some other random toys that Pepper doubted the Avengers would play with.

"What's for me?" Toy demanded.

Pepper sighed. "Would you like a bug picture of yourself as a superhero to hang on your wall?"

Tony considered this. "Can I hang it in the living room?"

"No, it'll probably have to stay in your room."

"But they're _all_ my rooms! It's my house!"

Pepper hid a weary smile. "Sorry, Tony, I'm the adult right now, so it's my house."

"Fine," Tony grumbled. "But only if you go hang it up now."

"As soon as I give everyone else their presents. Here," Pepper added reluctantly, "why don't you take a gun and go practice shooting with Clint and Natasha?" She pointed to where Natasha was tumbling around on the carpet, shooting doorknobs, and Clint had settled himself in the highest point he could climb to – the top of one of the larger sofas.

"Practice shooting _with_ them, not _at_ them!" she added, as he grabbed a gun that shot big foam missiles.

"Aww! Pepper!" He pouted, but she ignored him and turned to Loki, the only one who hadn't already run off.

"What would you like, Loki?" she asked. He said nothing, but bent and picked up a Rubik's cube and a couple of board games, among them chess and Sorry. Then he walked away and sat down on the floor, setting up several of the games and studying them thoughtfully. A moment later, he began moving pieces.

…

Pepper was in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner and not really paying attention, when the young Avengers' conversation happened to catch her interest.  
"I'm going to marry Pepper when I grow up!" Tony declared, making Natasha snort and Steve giggle.  
"Pepper's too good for you, silly," Natasha informed him. Sounds of scuffling came from the other room and as Pepper glanced in to investigate, she saw Tony pushing Natasha into a chair and her retaliating by punching him in the side.  
"So?" Tony demanded a moment later.  
"_So_ she won't want to marry you," Natasha explained. "Plus you're too young for her."  
"I don't care! I love Pepper!" Tony exclaimed. He paused and frowned slightly. "Cept when she makes me eat broccoli. Or tells me to clean my room."  
"Well _I'm_ going to marry Tasha," Clint declared. He stood on his toes (because Natasha was slightly taller than him) and kissed her on the cheek. Pepper thought it was very cute.  
"Clint and Natasha, sitting in a tree!" Tony yelled. Then he ducked to avoid Clint shooting him with a rubber arrow. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" he added triumphant as he managed to spell it right. Then Natasha kicked him in the shin.  
"Hey! Ow!"  
"Aww, poor Tony," Natasha said sweetly.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Thor burst out very suddenly, making them all jump. "Loki, this game is almost as good as Poptarts!" he added, pounding a fist on the kitchen table and making a visible dent in the surface. Pepper shuddered at what Tony would say when he was returned to normal.

"What is this game called again?" Thor asked interestedly.

"It's called Sorry. You like it?" Loki asked. Something in his voice made Pepper worried that it wasn't going to end well.

"Yes! No!" Thor exclaimed. "NO, BROTHER HOW DARE YOU SEND ME BACK TO START?" There was a crash and little red pawn rolled past Pepper's foot.

"Thor, that's not how we behave when we're upset," Jane told him firmly.

"But, Lady Jane, my brother has sent my winning pawn back to the place called Start," Thor protested, glaring at Loki, who smiled faintly.

"And you send it at Pepper. That's no excuse."

"Sorry, Lady Pepper!" Thor called sheepishly.

There was a crash from the other room, and then Pepper heard an angry voice yell, "HULK TOLD YOU TO BE QUIET! HULK WANT TO WATCH TV!"

"Not again!" Steve yelled in alarm. "Bad Hulk!"

"Bruce, calm down! We'll be quiet!" Clint said earnestly.

"And we'll punish Tony for ruining your math," Natasha added. "He doesn't stand a chance."

"Hey! I was fixing his subtraction!" Tony protested. The hulk roared.


	5. Chapter 4: Happy Birthday

**Chapter 4: Happy Birthday**

_Natasha Romanoff (The Black Widow)_

"Today's November 22. Do you know what that means?" Pepper asked, smiling.

"Thanksgiving," Tony said proudly.

"Um, no, that's next Thursday," Pepper told him. Tony frowned. "Today is also a special day though, do you know why?" Natasha sighed quietly and chucked a Lego at Tony.

"My birthday, stupid," she told him.

"But…that means that now you're six too. And that means that I'm not older than you again until May." He scowled.

"Too bad," Natasha said, knowing it would annoy him. She paused. "Pepper, what are we going to do today?"

"Well, I suppose we'll have cake and maybe go out do something fun and buy you a present," Pepper replied. "What would you like to do, since it's your birthday?"

Natasha thought about it for a minute. "Can we go to the playground with all of the stuff to climb?"

"The one with the huge slide?" Tony asked eagerly. "And that merry-go-round thing with handles that spins around?" Natasha rolled her eyes at him. "And didn't you say something about cake? What kind of cake?"

"Yes, that playground," Pepper said, smiling. "And whatever kind of cake Natasha wants."

"Chocolate," Tony begged.

"Um…blue," Steve said thoughtfully from his position on the floor.

"Coffee!" Thor bellowed, throwing a Lego person at Steve, who added it to the pile he seemed to be defending from Bruce, which whom he seemed to be fighting some kind of battle.

"Red-velvet or cinnamon," Loki decided, spinning his Rubix cube. "Or maybe peppermint?" They all stared at him. "Or…not," he said, looking up and smiling slowly.

"You could pick that yellow cake that Pepper made once," Clint suggested. "I think you liked it." Then he added, as though needing to add something he wanted, "With purple icing."

"Lemon cupcakes with vanilla icing and purple sprinkles," Natasha said, watching Pepper. She was happy to see Pepper's eyes light up, although she couldn't remember why she had known to say that.

"Jane, do you mind handling the playground while I handle the cake?" Pepper asked. She looked a little guilty and Natasha wondered if she felt bad leaving them all with Jane.

"Alright. Jackets, everyone," Jane said agreeably.

…

"Watch me fly!" Tony called from the top of the tall slide.

"Race you to the top," Clint teased Natasha, when they stopped in front of what she thought Pepper had called the jungle gym. It looked like half of a big ball, made out of bars. She loved it.

Reaching the top, Natasha flipped upside-down and hung from the bar by her knees. Clint settles himself above her, as though to protect her from any who would do her harm, and they stayed that way for a long time.

Uncertain of the sudden warm feeling in her chest, Natasha said suddenly, "I'll race you to the swings!" She dropped down without waiting for him to answer, flipping over so that she landed on her feet, and ran off while Clint hurried to climb down behind her.

She ran at one of the swings, but somehow Clint caught up to her. He tackled her and they both fell over, giggling.

"Clint!" she protested, but she wasn't really annoyed.

"Hey, Tasha! Clint!" They both looked up. Steve had managed to climb up to the highest platform and was waving. Natasha frowned slightly and waved back. Steve stepped forward, tripped, and tumbled down…

"Steve!"

…And vanished. Loki stepped forward, laughing. "Are you always going to fall for that?" he asked.

There was a gasp and Natasha turned around, her hands clenched in fists, angry with Loki and wondering what was happening now. But it wasn't anyone she knew. It was a woman in a dark coat and sunglasses. Natasha scowled, immediately disliking the woman.

"What happened to that boy?" the woman whispered, sounding horrified.

"Loki! Where have you hidden?" Thor called loudly. Natasha thought she saw the woman jump a little bit.

"That's just Thor. He's my…brother," Natasha told the woman, remembering that Pepper had said to pretend that they were all brother and sister.

"Your brother? And the dark-haired boy too?" she asked.

"Yes, him too," Natasha said, biting her lip. She really didn't like this nosy woman.

"Do you have any other siblings?" the woman asked, frowning.

"Why do you care?" Clint asked suddenly, putting his hands on his hips. "We're not supposed to talk to strangers." Natasha almost smiled, because it sounded like such a little kid answer.

"Listen, I –" the woman was cut off as Jane walked over.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

"Are these your children?" the woman asked her, ignoring the question.

"No, they're my niece and nephews," Jane said, frowning.

"Of course, of course, you're much too young…forgive my rudeness. I was just leaving," the woman said, her eyes narrowing. But as she walked away, Natasha noticed that her eyes never left Loki.

…

"WHERE IS –"

"Shh!"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. We'll have to ask Pepper."

Natasha sat up, careful not to wake up Clint, who'd had nightmares again. She could hear Tony and Thor talking in the hall, and decided to investigate.

"Pepper!" Tony said in a loud whisper.

"LADY PEPPER!" Halfway out the door, Natasha winced, glancing back at Clint. But he stayed asleep.

"Shh!"

"Boys, why are you out of bed?" Pepper asked quietly from the living room.

"LOKI IS GONE!" Thor exclaimed loudly. Natasha peered into the living room. Pepper was clutching the phone and looking worried.

"Don't worry. He wasn't feeling very well and had to go to the doctor. He'll be back soon," she promised. "Now go back to bed, okay?" The two boys nodded, although Thor looked worried.

Even after the boys had left, Natasha continued to watch Pepper, worried. She had continued to clutch the phone and was now whispering something to herself.

"How can this be happening?" Natasha thought she said. "Why does she keep doing this?"

"Pepper, are you okay?" Natasha asked hesitantly, stepping into the room. Pepper jumped and looked over at her.

"I'm fine, Natasha, don't worry."

"What really happened to Loki?"

Pepper hesitated, and for a second, Natasha thought that she might actually answer. "Like I told the boys, he had to go to the doctor. He'll be fine."

Natasha scowled and put her hands on her hips. "Pepper you said you wouldn't lie to me."

Pepper just looked at her sadly. Natasha hesitated, then walked over and hugged her. Pepper patted her on the back, murmuring, "Please trust me, Natasha. I'm sorry."

"Pepper, I know something is wrong. Clint has nightmares about a blue cube and losing himself. The woman today was horrified by Loki. You look at Tony like something really bad happened to him." Natasha stared up at Pepper expectantly.

She sighed. "Natasha, I can't tell you because I don't want to scare you."

"You won't."

"Please go to bed."

"Pepper."

She sighed. "Why are you so stubborn? Yes, something bad happened to all of you, and I don't know how to fix it, or if it will ever get fixed. And I don't know when Loki is coming back. If he does, he'll be different."


	6. Chapter 5: Being Worried and Thankful

**Chapter 5: Being Worried and Thankful**

_Pepper Potts_

It had been a rough day, but the worst part had certainly been her conversation with Nick Fury.

…

"Pepper? I have bad news," he'd said immediately.

"What happened?" Pepper asked, sinking into a chair. Everyone was finally in bed and she was hoping to do the same soon. Jane had, just a few minutes ago.

"Loki showed up at S.H.I.E.L.D. today." Pepper sat bolt upright.

"What the hell was he doing? What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"I don't think Loki actually had anything to do with it."

"Director Fury, what happened?"

"It seems that Tessa Rundle has struck again. We found Loki in the same chamber we found all of you in before, only this time, he was three."

"He was three?" Pepper gasped. "But why would someone do that?"

"I would remind you that no one is particularly fond of Loki after his invasion with the Chitauri," Fury pointed out. "But what worries me is that no one noticed that he was missing."

"They just went to bed twenty minutes ago," Pepper said, but she frowned then, realizing now that she wasn't sure she'd actually seen Loki. Mentally, she cursed herself for not being more responsible.

"We're set up more security at this moment," Fury informed her, "but there's only so much we can do. We may have to begin the training –retraining, that is –of the Avengers earlier than we thought." He paused. "Pepper, have you told any of them the truth yet?"

"No," she said

"Have they experienced any strange rememberances, demonstrated skills that shouldn't be present in children of their age, or shown any symtoms of illness?"

"They seem advanced for their age and seem to have a little bit of the skills they had before," Pepper said, biting her lip. "And they seem to have similar relationships." That brought a pain to her heart, and she closed her eyes for a moment, twisting the ring on her finger.

"And Pepper, how are you holding up?" Fury asked, his voice slightly kinder. "I know this is hard on you."

"It's hard. But I'm coping," Pepper said. What else could she do?

"I'll let you go to sleep now. But if the young Avengers show any of the signs I mentioned, or there are any other problems, please inform S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately." Only a minute after she hung up, Tony and Thor had come out.

…

"Pepper? How would he be different?" Natasha asked, jolting Pepper out of her thoughts.

"He might seem younger," Pepper admitted, although it was an understatement. What would they do? Thor was going to want his brother back.

Natasha frowned. "Like how Tony and Bruce and Clint all seem young? Sometimes I think they should be older."

"Why is that?"

"People used to say that there was too much of an age difference between me and Clint. Back when we were…when we were…" She frowned some more, shook her head, and looked confused. "I don't remember." This seemed to worry her.

"It was awhile ago," Pepper said. It certainly felt like a lifetime, anyway.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Natasha muttered. "But I'm tired now. G'night, Pepper."

"Goodnight, Natasha," Pepper told her softly. "And happy birthday again." But even after the girl went back to bed, Pepper stayed almost motionless, just sitting in the living room, wrapped up in her own thought, not knowing yet of the problems that would arise the next day.

…

"Morning, Pepper," Tony yawned. Pepper was so busy staring in horror at the newspaper that she barely managed to reply.

"What's for breakfast?"

"There's cereal on the table," she said distractedly, and Tony made a face, but sat down.

"Are you okay, Pepper?" he asked, surprising her by being perceptive and looking at her in concern. She missed the older Tony even more.

"I'm fine, Tony, but thanks for asking."

"Pepper?" Natasha stood in the kitchen doorway, looking worried and clutching a bewildered- and groggy-looking Clint's hand. "There's someone outside Stark Tower."

From behind her, Steve piped up, "He looks scary," and Bruce made a noise of agreement. Even Thor looked worried, running a hand through his hair and not saying anything.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.? Is there someone outside?"

"Yes, M –"

"Who is it?" Pepper interrupted.

"I believe he is a reporter. I've denied him access. Would you like me to let him in?"

"No!"

"Very well."

"Who is he, Pepper?" Natasha asked worriedly. Pepper didn't think she had ever seen all of the Avengers look so concerned, at least since they'd been shrunk.

"He's a reporter, so he probably has some questions from the newspaper," Pepper said, wincing and thinking of the article she'd just read. _S.H.I.E.L.D. screwup…the Avengers and Loki shrunk down to little kids…who will protect the city now?...Loki missing and on the loose…_ That article was going to cause all kinds of problems, both from the truths and the lies. Loki wasn't missing, of course, but she doubted that little bit of information would reassure the population.

"What kind of questions?" Tony asked. He paused for a moment before saying rather cockily, "Questions about me?" Steve scowled at him.

"No way! You're so full of yourself, Tony!" he exclaimed, obviously quoting one of the other Avengers. Pepper wasn't quite sure what to say. She searched around mentally. Of course, the fact that today was Thanksgiving! She almost groaned then, because that meant cooking Thanksgiving dinner for six little kids.

…

"How about we go around the table and say what we're thankful for," Pepper suggested. That was normal, right? The looks she got made her wonder if she had really said something like "why don't we all go stab each other with pins and needles?" or "why don't we see who can eat the most poison before dying?" or even "would you like me to force-feed you broccoli?" This was going to be a long day.

"I guess we could," Natasha said doubtfully.

"Excellent, Natasha, why don't you start?" Pepper said encouragingly. Natasha stated at her plate for a moment, frowning.

"I AM THANKFUL FOR COFFEE AND POPTARTS!" Thor boomed. "ALSO THIS FOOD CALLED TURKEY!"

"I'm thankful for Tasha and my bow," Clint offered, and Pepper had the odd feeling that they'd had this conversation before. Natasha made a face at Clint.

"I'm thankful for Clint, Pepper, and my...brothers," she said hesitantly, as though the last word was something that the others might take offense at or consider a curse word. Sometimes the girl could be very sweet. "But I'm also thankful for Tony finally shutting up." And...sometimes you really would think Tony was her brother.

"I'm offended," Tony protested.

Pepper quickly intervened. "What are you thankful for, Tony?"

He gave her a sulky look. "I'm thankful for candy and presents and Pepper." Pepper tried not to look too pleased or pained at this.

"I'm thankful for math, science, and medicine," Bruce said quietly.

"That's boring," someone, possibly Clint or Tony muttered, but even quieter than Bruce.

"Steve?" Natasha whispered something to him, and he frowned, then nodded.

"I'm thankful for…justice?" he asked hesitantly, glancing at Natasha. She nodded. "And America…and…dancing," he declared solemnly. Natasha snorted and even Bruce laughed along with the rest of them.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry I've been updating kind of infrequently, but I've been kind of stuck. I really hope you enjoyed this, and if you have any suggestions, PLEASE tell me!**


	7. Chapter 6: Memory Problems

**Chapter 6: Memory Problems**

_Loki Laufeyson_

The room was too hot, and Loki lay still on his bed, trying to figure out why he felt so confused while a weird man asked him questions.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Loki."

"Where do you live?"

He shrugged. Asgard? Midgard? He wasn't sure, and he asn't going to tell that to the weird man with the dark skin and the creepy thing on his eye.

"How old are you?"

"Five," Loki informed the man, rolling his eyes.

"You said you were three before." Now Loki rolled over and scowled at the nosy man with the questions.

"No I didn't." Loki smiled just a little, then stopped because the creepy man looked annoyed.

"You held up three fingers. Usually that means three."

"Maybe you didn't wait for me to hold up five," Loki offered. "Or maybe you should learn to count better." The man sighed.

"Do you have any sisters?"

"No," Loki said. In his head, he saw a vague picture pretty girl with long red hair. Then he saw an even foggier picture of an older, dark-haired girl. Finally, the faintest glimpse of a woman in gold. "No sisters."

"Do you have any brothers?"

"Yes. His name is Thor," Loki admitted. "He's big and he loves me." Now why had he said that? The man raised an eyebrow at him, and Loki looked away.

"Can you tell me about him?" the man asked, and Loki shook his head and flopped back down on the bed. "Okay, well can you tell me if you have any special powers or any strange memories?" Loki froze and forced himself to laugh.

"Of course not, old man."

_He sat in a dark room, with white fog rising up around him as he screamed with a strange, burning terror. He couldn't go back here, not again! They wouldn't change him! He was Loki, he was 14! No, he was much, much older, she had said, and he remembered…he remembered…he was Loki…14…10…14!...no! No! He couldn't remember…_

_ "Let me out!" he screamed. He had never felt so scared in his life, had never sreamed, and certainly not in fear…he was…he was…he remembered…_

_ The room faded away before his eyes, and the memories slipped away with it._

Loki realized then that the creepy man was staring at him and he was whispering, "I am Loki, I am 14, I am Loki, I am…I am…I remember…" He clamped his mouth shut.

"No strange memories, huh?"

"No," Loki said defiantly.

…

He looked up as the weird man walked into his room and did a double take upon sight of Loki. "Fury," he said calmly.

"Loki," Fury said cautiously.

"Why don't you sit down, Nick? Have a cup of tea, as you Midgardians call it, ask some questions… We'll be 'BFFs' in no time." He laughed.

"So how old are you, Loki, because you're obviously not five?"

"I am twelve, although I have the wisdom of a much older man," Loki said. He smiled slowly, taking in Fury's worried face.

"I leave you to your 'wisdom' then," Fury said, rising and leaving.

…

"Oh my," the man began, staring at Loki. He looked up, cocking his head. The he went back to chewing on his blanket.

"What's going on here? Jefferson! Hirst!" Another man and a woman in white coats walked in but Loki didn't care.

"He looks about two," one of them offered tentatively.

"I noticed, Jefferson! What I would like to know is _why_ Loki has been tree, five, twelve, and two all within the span of a few hours! This just started today and no one's been in or out!"

"Well he has magic and shapeshifting powers, doesn't he? I think that this might be his mind's way of trying to deal with being reverted to such a young state. He and the other Asgardian, Thor, are much older than the others who were shrunk. That's a lot more memory and experience to repress."

"It's possible that it's only starting now because that strain on his mind is finally building up. You said he seemed to be having some kind of flashback earlier, right? As far as we know, none of the others have had that. It might be a good idea to call Mrs. Stark – er, Miss Potts – and tell her to bring the others in to be checked, particularly Thor."

"Might be a good idea, huh? I'll get right on that. In the meantime, run some more tests and please, _for the love of God,_ keep the others away from Loki! If you do nothing else, _don't_ let them see Loki!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Affirmative, Director."

"Loki, what are we going to do with you?" For the first time since the other people entered, Loki looked up. His vision turned green and gold and he felt a tickling sensation as his body seemed to stretch and his mind enlarge.

"When did you come in?" Loki asked, before he could stop himself, looking a little confused. He smiled uncertainly.

"You saw that, right?" the man with the eyepatch demanded.

"Yes, sir!'

"Affirmative, Director."

"Was that him shifting again?" Shifting? Again? Loki hated not knowing something.

"Yes sir!"

"Affirmative, Director."

"Can you say anything else?" the man demanded, exasperated, rubbing his forehead and looking ready to bang the heads of the two people in white coats together.

"Yes s –"

"Affir –"

"Just stop. Please! Go run some tests or something." They hurried out and the man with the eyepatch turned to Loki. "Do you need anything, like food or water?"

"Yes, please," Loki said cautiously. The man nodded wearily.

"I getting too old for this…" he muttered. "How old are you now, exactly?"

"Seven. Sir?" he added uncertainly.

"What is it?"

"What were you talking about?"

"Well, Loki, we do some very important work here, and there's a boy who seems to be…sick…in a way, and we're not sure how to help him. It's worrying." The man looked at him intently.

"How's he sick?"

"He seems to behaving memory problems, and he acts strangely." Loki frowned, because the man was looking at him like he expected Loki to have a solution to the problem.

"Maybe he's looking for something," Loki suggested, when the man kept staring at him. "But maybe he can't remember what he's looking for, so he just feels like he's missing something." Loki had felt like that before.

"Maybe you're right."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Loki?" the man asked with a sigh.

"What's your name?"

"You may call me Mr. Fury," the man said finally.

"That's a funny name," Loki said, smiling up at Mr. Fury. "Is that why people call you sir or director?" Mr. Fury just shook his head, muttering something, and walked out. Loki wondered why Mr. Fury hadn't answered his question.

…

Loki looked up as someone opened the door to his room, carrying food.

"Hello," he said to the man hesitantly, just as a group other people walked by his door. Some of them were kids, and one of them, a blond boy, stopped suddenly.

"Loki?" he asked, frowning. "Loki! BROTHER!" Loki looked up in alarm as the boy ran in and hugged him. "ARE YOU COMING HOME WITH US, BROTHER?" he boomed. Loki jumped at the sound.

"Um, yes, of course. But later…brother," he said, cautiously. The boy seemed familiar, he Loki wasn't quite sure who he was.

"AFTER THE TESTS?"

"Yes, after the tests." What tests?

The boy smiled and one of the grownups called, "Thor, come on!"

Thor… It was later, after the boy had left and the door had closed and Loki had eaten most of hi food, that he remembered who the boy was. It was is brother, Thor. Loki wondered what would happen now, if he would get to see his brother again.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, first of all, I want to thank everyone for reading, following, favoriting, and most of all, reviewing this story. You guys are awesome and I really appreciate it.**

**Second, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was supposed to provide some background information and explain what happened with Loki. Yes, Loki will be coming back...he makes everything more fun and even though he's not an Avenger, he certainly has a history with them. If this chapter was confusing, I apologize.  
**

**Third, please review! Like I've said before, I love it when you review! Favorite moments, things you'd like clarification on, things you want me to add...anything you have to say.  
**

**Thanks again for reading!  
**


	8. Chapter 7: Fieldtrip to SHIELD

**Chapter 7: Fieldtrip to S.H.I.E.L.D.**

_Natasha Romanoff (The Black Widow)_

Natasha had tried to be a good girl, but she had to know why talking in the phone was making Pepper seem so worried, and the only way to do that was by being sneaky.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

"Yes, Miss Romanoff?" Natasha frowned slightly.

"Connect the phone to Miss Pott's line," she said firmly, wondering if it would work.

"I'm not certain that that is a good idea."

"Don't worry. It'll be fine."

A minute later J.A.R.V.I.S. connected the phone and voices came through. "-need to bring the young Avengers in to be tested, so that we know they're not going to turn out like Loki. And there is other, routine, testing that needs to be done, particularly now that we know it will be awhile before we find a solution. We're thinking about school, training, and possibly even thinking about moving them to a new, permanent home."

"Jane and I are fine with them." That was Pepper. Natasha listened with wide eyes.

"Neither of you are experienced parents, and we're talking about six, possibly seven children with difficulties beyond normal. That seems a bit much to ask." Natasha clutched the phone. Was the man talking about taking them away?

"Director Fury, we're fine. We may not know kids, but we know the Avengers and they seem to know us, so it makes sense to keep us as their guardians."

"We will consider it, of course. But we want to do whatever is in their best interest."

"You mean whatever is in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s and the world's best interest," Pepper snapped. Natasha started, because Pepper never talked like that, not even when Tony broke Steve's toys it when Loki made Bruce turn big and green.

"You're going to raise them to be perfect little S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, even Loki, even if it's not in their best interest, because the world needs them," Pepper added, sounding sad.

"Pepper, calm down, no decisions have been made yet. Now go get some sleep, because you sound like you need it."

Natasha's nose began to twitch. "J.A.R.V.I.S., hang up," she whispered. Then she sneezed.

She walked back to her room quietly, feeling confused. She wanted to talk to someone about what she'd heard, but Clint was asleep and she didn't want to give him more nightmares.

She paused in front of a door, remembering it was Loki's, or had been, before he'd gone to the doctor. She remembered what Pepper and the strange man had said on the phone and she wondered how Loki was doing and if he would ever be back.

...

"Today we're going to go to the doctor," Pepper announced. Natasha thought they all looked upset about this, but no one said anything. Pepper's eyes were all red and she looked she'd been crying. Tony took her hand, trying to weave her fingers into his, and kind of failed, since his hands were so small.

"Okay," Bruce said quietly.

Of course, the silence only lasted until they went out to the car, since no one could ever buckle quietly. Tony kept shouting "shotgun!" until Thor accidentally sat on him, The seatbelt for Clint's car seat was way too loose, and Steve and Bruce started arguing over who got to sit where.

For a moment, Pepper just stood there, and her face scared Natasha more than anything she'd ever seen, because it was just blank.

"Jane! JANE!" Natasha screamed. "J.A.R.V.I.S., get Jane!"

"Yes, Miss Romanoff." Now Natasha was the one just standing there, helpless.

"Thor, get off of Tony. Bruce, you're in the back, remember? Steve is in the front. Calm down, okay?" Clint stood off after saying this and walked over to Natasha, putting his arm over her. "Are you okay, Tasha?"

"Yes, but not Pepper," she said worriedly. Tony ran over to Pepper and hugged her.

"What's going on?" Jane asked, walking into the garage.

"Something's wrong with Pepper!" Tony said immediately. Pepper seemed to shake herself as Jane walked over.

"I'm fine. Just tired," she managed.

"You need rest," Jane agreed, but she still looked worried, so Natasha was still worried. "I'll drive."

…

"Do you have any strange memories? Unnatural abilities?"

Natasha shifted in her chair, which was hard and uncomfortable. A weird man in a long white coat was asking her questions and she didn't think she liked it. "No," she said.

"Are you sure?"

"Who are you?" Natasha asked back.

"What do you remember about your friends?"

"What happened to Loki?"

"Have you felt especially tired or sick lately?"

"What are you going to do with us?"

The man sighed and rubbed his head. A moment later, a woman with dark hair came in. She looked at the man and then at Natasha, raising an eyebrow, and Natasha gave her the sweet smile that got her out of trouble with Pepper.

"Has the girl got the best of you, then?"

"Dr. Jefferson," the man said stiffly. "Do you need something?"

"Fury wants me to interview Natasha instead. He seemed to feel she might not be cooperative otherwise. Sorry." The man stood up and left, saying what Natasha suspected was a bad word.

"You're not going to tell Pepper he said that, are you? She wouldn't like it," Natasha asked worriedly. The woman smiled.

"I won't, I promise. But can you do me a favor and answer my questions, Natasha? It'll be easier if you cooperate."

"I guess," she agreed reluctantly.

"You are Natasha Romanoff, age six?"

"Yeah."

"And you live with Pepper, Jane, Clint, Tony, Steve, Bruce, and Thor?"

"And Loki." The woman wrote something on her clipboard. Natasha thought that maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Can you tell me about Clint? Is he your brother, your friend...?"

Natasha frowned. "He's my friend. My best friend."

"Of course he is. Now tell me, and this is very important, has he said anything weird lately? Anything you don't understand?"

"He's a boy, he always says weird things," Natasha informed Dr. Jefferson. She smiled.

"Anything extra weird, then."

"He said he was going to marry me and I don't understand that. And sometimes he talks about archery stuff that doesn't make sense. And yesterday he called Tony something I didn't understand, but I don't think he was supposed to say it, so I can't tell you what he said." Natasha shrugged. "Sorry."

"That's okay. But there's one more thing...has he had any bad dreams recently?"

Natasha froze. Every night. Clint has bad dreams almost every night. But she only said, "Maybe."

Dr. Jefferson nodded like she understood. "What are they about?"

"I can't tell you," Natasha mumbled.

"This will help him Natasha. Don't you want his nightmares to stop?"

"Yeah..."

"So tell me. Please."

_"You can't tell anyone, Tasha." He looked so scared, she would've agreed to anything._

_"I won't, I promise."_

"I can't. I promised."

"Natasha, if he's having nightmares, it could be very bad, and we need to help him."

_"They're horrible. Sometimes I see Loki's face, or feel something else taking over my head._

_Sometimes I see you rejecting me. I'm scared, Tasha, I don't want that to happen."_

_"It won't. It's okay, Clint," she whispered. "It's just a dream."_

_"But it feels so real. Like I'm remembering something I tried to forget. What if it's real?"_

_She hugged him tightly. "I won't let anything happen to you, stupid," she said fiercely._

_"I'm supposed to protect you," he mumbled._

_"Everyone needs to be protected sometimes, Clint. You might be Hawkeye, but even you can't do it alone." She felt a strange feeling in her stomach, like she'd said this before._

"_Did you just call me 'hot guy'?" he mumbled sleepily. The feeling got stronger. She forced a laugh and after a minute, it felt a little better._

_"Go back to sleep, 'hot guy'," she told him._

_"Don't leave, Tasha," he whispered._

Natasha swallowed. Everyone needs to be protected sometimes. "Loki," she burst out. "And a blue cube." I'm sorry, Clint.

Dr. Jefferson nodded. "Pepper told us as much." And Natasha felt a little better, knowing that she hasn't told them anything they didn't already know.

There was a loud thump, and Natasha heard Thor's loud voice out in the hall. "Can I go to the bathroom?" she asked, wanting to find out what was going on.

"Of course. It's at the end if the hall." Dr. Jefferson opened the door an pointed.

"Thank-you," Natasha said innocently. As soon as Dr. Jefferson looked away though, she ducked around the corner.

"Loki? Loki! BROTHER!" Natasha frowned as Thor ran to hug a boy about her age.

"ARE YOU COMING HOME WITH US, BROTHER?"

"Um, yes, of course. But later…brother," the boy said cautiously.

"AFTER THE TESTS?"

"Yes, after the tests."

"Thor, come on!" Jane said patiently, leading him, Clint, and Bruce away.

Natasha waited until they had moved, then slipped through the door that the boy had gone back through. Then she stopped and stared.

"Yes?" the boy asked cautiously.

"What happened to you?" Natasha burst out to the somehow-seven-year-old Loki.

* * *

**A/N: AHHHHHHH I DID NOT MEAN TO TAKE SO LONG GETTING THIS CHAPTER UP, I'M SORRY! If you're still reading this, I love you. (And I'll love you even more if you review, hint hint.) Seriously though, I'm sorry, and I will try to update more frequently in the future. I have some ideas about where it's going, but I'd love to hear yours too! Again, I'm sorry, and thanks for reading!**

**-DarkPrincess**


	9. Chapter 8: Questions, Answers

**A/N: I'm sorry for making you wait...I will try to be faster in the future, but no promises. I'm on spring break right now though, so I will try to get another chapter done this week.**

**You see that REVIEW button at the bottom of the screen? Please use it! Let me know what you like, what you don't like, and (this is important) who you want to hear more from. As in, what characters are the most interesting to listen to. I like Natasha, so I write from her perspective a lot, but I want to hear what you like.**

**Anyway, I'll shut up now. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Questions, Answers, and Little Avengers**

_Tony Stark (Iron Man)_

"Tony Stark?"

Tony stared unblinkingly up at the doctor. "Yes?"

"Is there anything special about you? Any powers or abilities?"

Tony smirked. "You mean like my brilliance or awesomeness?"

"Uh, no."

"Oh. Well I have a blue glowy thing called an arc reactor right here," he said pointing at his chest. "And I am very good at annoying Bruce." Tony leaned forward so that he could whisper to the doctor, "He turns into a big green hulk, but don't worry, it's normal. And usually he's just a normal, boring little kid."

"Well then," the doctor said anxiously. "Could you answer another question for me?"

"Do I have to? I'm bored," Tony complained.

"Yes."

"Fine. What's your question?"

"What's your relationship with the other people you live with?" Toy was actually silent for a moment. "Relationship means-"

"I know what it means," Tony said, frowning. "I'm _thinking,_ geez."

"Sorry," the doctor mumbled.

"That's quite all right," Tony replied haughtily. "Well, Pepper is my friend and she's amazing and beautiful. Jane is Pepper's friend. Bruce is cool, but he doesn't talk much. Thor is weird," he added, wrinkling his nose a little. "I mean, who likes Poptarts _that_ much? Oh, and Natasha and Clint are always together, but I don't get along with them. Or Steve, but Steve is just...little, innocent Steve," he said finally.

"Okay," the doctor said, writing something down. "Well, I have one more question."

"Okay."

"Do you remember anything strange or have any odd dreams ever?"

Tony smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Are we getting personal, doctor? Yeah, I have dreams… Like, a couple times, I dreamed I was married to Pepper and there was a boy named Phil, I don't know why. And another time I dreamed Bruce smashed Thor's brother, Loki, against the floor." He paused. "I think it's been a while since I saw Loki…I wonder when he'll be back…" Tony shrugged, and Loki was gone from his mind.

…

_Steve Rogers (Captain America)_

"Hello, Steven," the big man that Pepper said was named Dr. Zane said kindly.

"Hi," Steve said shyly, waving a little. Unsure what else to say, he added, "I'm Steve."

"So, Steve, how old are you?"

"Four."

"Four, huh? I hardly remember that age... Do you have any friends or brothers or sisters that you like to play with?" Dr. Zane smiled.

"Natasha and Clint and Tony and Bruce and Thor..." Steve remembered something. "I think there was someone named Loki too. But he left."

"Interesting. Can you tell me a little bit about them?"

"Tasha and Clint are like…best friends. But they're nice to me. I guess they're my friends." He shrugged. "Tony is mean sometimes, but he's really cool and he's so smart… Thor is funny, and he's my big brother 'cause he's the only one who looks like me. Except I think Pepper said Tasha is like my sister." He frowned. "I don't know, I don't understand girls. They're weird. Oh, and there's Bruce too! He's almost as smart as Tony, but he's nicer. Except when he turns green and scary and loud. Then he hurts my ears," Steve mumbled, rubbing his ear as he remembered.

"That's very…uh, interesting. Can you tell me about Jane and Pepper? Are they nice to you? Do they take care of you?"

"Oh, yeah!" Steve said enthusiastically. "They're really nice, and Pepper's always making sure I brush my teeth and eat dinner…and saving me from Tony. She's the only one he listens to. And Jane is really nice too."

"Would you be upset if you were taken away from Pepper and Jane and your friends? Or do you think you'd feel safer?"

"No no no, don't take me away," Steve cried. "They're my friends…"

"Of course, I'm sorry for suggesting it. Steve, does the name 'Captain America' mean anything to you?"

"Yeah…think so," he mumbled. "Sometimes my friends call me that. Or Cap."

"So, Cap, is there anything special about you? Any special powers that you or your friends have?"

"I'm strong," he offered. "So's Thor. And Bruce when he turns green. Natasha can do flips and stuff and Clint can shoot a bow and arrow so well." He grinned. "And Tony's super smart. And he has a glowy thing in his chest. I like shields, though," he added randomly, as an afterthought.

The doctor nodded cautiously. "I thought you might. Thank-you, Steve."

"You're welcome," Steve said cheerfully, because Pepper had told him it was polite.

…

_Clint Baron (Hawkeye)_

"So, _you're_ the infamous Clint Barton." The doctor chuckled. "Not your best day, eh?"

"Sir?" Clint asked, confused. In his pocket, he fingered a little arrow.

"Never mind. How've you been?" The shuffled some papers and turned to stare at Clint, who shifted nervously.

"Fine, sir," he said, trying to sound grown-up. "Uh, how are you?"

"None of that, we're talking about you. Elaborate. How's you life now? What are your siblings like? Had any strange memories or recurring nightmares lately?"

Clint wished Natasha would come save him, because he didn't like this man and there had been at least two words in there that he didn't understand. "Sir," he mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I'm fine. And so is…everyone else. No nightmares…sir." He swallowed. _Be brave like Tasha. She would be making fun of you right now._ He sat up straighter.

The doctor sighed loudly. "How old are you, Clint?"

"Six. But I'll be seven soon," he added defensively. "In January."

"And you have brothers and sisters, correct?"

Clint frowned. "I think I have a brother. He's…bigger though. Older," he corrected himself.

"What do you call the other kids you live with – Natasha, Tony, Steve…all of them?"

"They're my friends. Tasha's my best friend." _That's right. Make eye contact, Clint. He's just being a bully._

"She's not your sister?" The doctor paused, then got a look on his face like Tony when he was up to no good. Or Loki when he used to play tricks on Bruce. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Clint made a face. He didn't know what Nat would've wanted him to say to that question, and he didn't want the doctor to be right, so he did what one his friends would've done. "Ew, no." He remembered something Tony had said. "Girls have cooties." Not that he knew what those were – Tony was the smart one, even if Clint didn't like to admit it.

"But she's not your sister?"

"No way."

"Are any of the others your brothers?"

"No…I don't think so. Pepper would've told me."

"Ah, Pepper." The doctor leaned forward to look over his glasses. Clint leaned back against the wall behind the check-up table. "How is Pepper? And Jane?"

"They're awesome. They gave me food and a bow," Clint told him.

"What about nightmares? I'm told you've been having them a lot."

_"You have heart." _

_Blinding blue light, a flash of pain. Invisible fingers sifting through his brain. Words, starting as a whisper, but growing louder and louder, telling him to obey Loki. Obey, obey, obey. The Tesseract knows all. He could see the galaxy laid out before his eyes, a wealth of wisdom, and S.H.I.E.L.D. would keep him from it._

_NononothinkofNatthinkofNatNa tashaNatashaNATASHA._

_Too late._

_Everything was blue._

"Just a couple times. They're over now. Tasha fixed them," he added quickly.

"_Tasha, stay with me. I'm scared," he whispered._

"_I'll always be here, Clint," she promised, squeezing his hand tightly. "Always. Because you're my best friend and everyone needs to be protected sometimes."_

"_Promise?" He couldn't have asked anyone else._

"_Promise."_

But she hadn't fixed them. No one could.

…

_Bruce Banner (Hulk)_

"Hey, Bruce."

"Hello, Doctor." He hesitated, but then his curiosity won out. "Can you explain some of the equipment in here?"

Doctor Jefferson laughed. "Maybe another time. Today I have to ask you questions." Seeing him sigh, she added, "Maybe if there's time and you behave." He perked up.

"What are your questions, Doctor?"

"Well, first I want ask you about your life at home. Who do you live with, what are they like? Basic questions."

"Steve said he was three, but now I think he's five. Tony, Clint, and Natasha are six. I'm seven. Thor is fifteen. Loki was fourteen, but he left and no one ever seems to think about him anymore. Pepper and Jane are adults. Steve is-"

"Hang on a moment, Steve said he was three, but now you think he's four?"

"I don't understand either," Bruce agreed. "But it makes sense."

"You do realize his birthday is in July?" Doctor Jefferson asked cautiously.

"Yes, Doctor, but we have aging problems. I've only noticed it in Steve and Thor, but I can't think of a better explanation."

Doctor Jefferson was silent for a moment, and Bruce worried he had said something wrong. Sometimes the only person who seemed to understand him was Tony, which sucked. But this was a doctor, after all, and doctors and scientists were supposed to be the smart ones. Bruce wanted to be one someday.

"Bruce, are you sure you're only seven-years-old?" Doctor Jefferson asked finally, smiling a little. "Because you're very smart for your age. And observant."

"Thanks, Doctor."

"Maybe when you're older, you can be an intern here," she offered, and he beamed.

…

_Thor Odinson _

"So, Thor…you're 15?"

"YES, MIDGARDIAN WOMAN! I AM 15 IN EARTH YEARS."

"And you have one brother, Loki. Any other siblings?"

"I HAVE AN ADOPTED BROTHER NAMED LOKI, THAT IS CORRECT!"

"And you can control lighting, lift the hammer Mjölnir?"

"YES, LADY DOCTOR! I AM ALSO VERY FOND OF POPTARTS AND THIS THING CALLED "COFFEE", ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS AMAZING INVENTION?" Thor was getting hungry.

"Uh, yes, I've had some coffee in my time," the woman said, looking nervous. She changed the subject, but Thor wasn't done. "I was wondering-"

"AND RECENTLY, I HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO THIS FOOD CALLED "DORITOS", ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THESE?"

"Yes, I've heard of them. Could you please stop shouting?" The woman looked panicked.

"Sorry, fair lady, but I am getting hungry. DO you have any Poptarts? _Doritos_? COFFEE?" He got louder with each word. Then his stomach growled.

"Uh, could we get someone down here, please? I think he's hungry," the woman mumbled into her headset.

Soon, Jane arrived, and Thor ran to her.

"LADY JANE! THIS MIDGARDIAN WOMAN WILL NOT GIVE ME FOOD!"

"Uh, why don't you calm down, and we'll get you food after the doctor finishes with you, okay? But no shouting." She glanced at the doctor. "Sorry, he's a teenage god. He gets hungry easily."

"Not a problem," the doctor mumbled, looking green. Thor wondered if this was a normal Midgardian color.


	10. Chapter 9: Explanations

**Chapter 9: Explanations  
**

_Loki Laufeyson_

"What happened to you?" the red-haired girl demanded, putting her hands on her hips. She looked sort of familiar, but Loki didn't know her name.

"I don't understand," he said, backing away. "Who are you?"

"I'm Natasha, remember? I lived with you for a little while. With Clint and Tony and Thor and Pepper…" she trailed off, looking confused. "You don't remember?"

"No. What am I supposed to remember?" Loki asked, suddenly worried. He couldn't remember anything now.

"Well…Thor is your brother. Your adopted brother," she began. Then she trailed off and ended up just staring at him confusedly.

"Thor," Loki repeated slowly. "Is he from Asgard too?"

"I don't know," Natasha said nervously.

"This isn't Asgard," Loki continued, "so where is it? What am I doing here? Natasha, I want to go home." He looked down, scared and sad now, and Natasha patted his shoulder nervously.

"I'm sorry you're sad. But you lived with us before, so maybe you will now. It'll be like home."

"Home," Loki repeated. It sounded strange to his ears, the same way Thor's name did, and he wasn't sure if he could believe it. "I don't think I would belong," he told her sadly. "I don't fit in anywhere."

"None of us do," Natasha said. She looked scared, like she wanted to leave, and Loki felt sad again, because everyone always seemed to want to leave him. He remembered something then, a blond-haired boy who'd always been at Natasha's side and had often been hostile to him.

"Does Clint know you're talking to me?" he asked, as he felt his body start to stretch and shift again. Natasha stared at him with her mouth open and her eyes wide with fear, and Loki smiled, feeling his mind sharpen.

"Why?" she asked, turning suddenly cold, her green eyes blazing with defiance. Loki stifled a sigh; no one defied him.

"He trusts me with you? After New York?"

"What do you mean?" she whispered, reverting to a frightened child.

Loki laughed, ignoring a pain that had begun to spread through his head. "I suppose you did get your wish. 'Love is for children.' You are certainly a child now, Agent Romanoff." He strode forward, and the pain in his head doubled.

"Love is for children… I don't understand…" Natasha was talking to herself now, mumbling fearfully.

Loki gasped as he felt his body begin to shrink again, and the pain faded, along with most of his memory. He looked up to see Natasha pressed again the wall, looking horrified. "What happened?" he asked.

"You were an adult. And now you're my age again," she whispered.

"You mean it happened again?" he asked in dismay.

"Again?" she squeaked. "That happens a lot?"

Loki sat down on the floor and hid his face in his hands. "Mr. Fury says it happened a bunch of times, but I don't really remember. He says my mind and body are still adjusting, whatever that means, but that's it's worse for me."

"Worse than who?"

"I don't know. You, maybe?" he suggested uncertainly. "I haven't seen a lot of kids here."

"But why would I be adjusting?" Natasha wondered.

"Well," Mr. Fury said, walking in suddenly, making them jump, "I know the answer to that, but what I don't know is what you are doing in here."

Natasha backed up, almost tripping over Loki, while muttering something that sounded like, "Being sneaky." Loki wondered what she thought she was being sneaky about.

"Don't worry, it's just Mr. Fury," he tried to reassure her.

"'_Just_ Mr. Fury?' I think I'd like a little bit of fear to my name," Mr. Fury grumbled. Loki frowned at him, confused, but he just shook his head. "I guess I owe you an explanation. Otherwise you'll just keep sneaking around and then we'll all be in trouble. Come on."

…

_Pepper Potts_

When Fury led a frightened-looking Natasha and a confused-looking Loki into the conference room, Pepper felt the last bit of her patience wear away.

"What now?" she asked, trying to control her temper.

"They are going to hear the truth. We owe them that much."

"What about the others? Why Natasha and…Loki?" Pepper wanted to know, thinking of Tony.

"Mr. Banner will be arriving in a moment, as he has apparently figured a lot out for himself," Fury replied, settling down in a chair to wait. Natasha and Loki looked at each other, looked at Pepper, and then looked at Fury, before sitting hesitantly down in two chairs at the end of the conference table.

A young woman walked in, leading Bruce, who was staring around in rapt curiosity. Someone had given him a white lab coat, which was dragging behind him slightly, too long for his seven-year-old height (or rather, lack of it). It was adorable, especially with his glasses and look of fascination with all of the equipment S.H.I.E.L.D. had.

"Tasha? Loki?" Bruce asked in confusion. He glanced at the young woman he'd been following. "Do they know too?"

"Sit down, Mr. Banner, Dr. Jefferson." Natasha jumped and looked guiltily at Dr. Jefferson, and Pepper wondered what she'd done.

"Is this about how we're not aging right?" Bruce asked, as Dr. Jefferson closed the door.

"You mean how Loki became big and then little again?" Natasha asked. Bruce started, as though noticing Loki for the first time.

"Loki? I thought you were older," Bruce said, frowning. "Like 14."

"I'm seven," Loki said quietly. "And I don't remember you."

"I'm Bruce."

"Anyway," Fury interrupted, "rather than have you consider sneaking around, we've decided to let know what happened. Once, you were all much older. You were all aging adults, including Pepper and Jane, who were older than they are now."

"But Pepper is old. I mean she's a grownup," Bruce interjected, frowning. It was something Tony might've said, and Pepper winced.

"Don't call Pepper old," Natasha protested.

"What happened?" Loki asked quietly, shutting them up.

"You were important people in S.H.I.E.L.D. – superheroes, in fact – but many of you were starting to get too old to keep protecting the city, so S.H.I.E.L.D. started looking for a solution. Unknown to the rest of us, one agent found one. She called all of the Avengers to S.H.I.E.L.D. and stuck you guys, Pepper, Jane, and Loki into a special room in order to get you away from everyone else and knock you out, so that she could do something to you to make you young again. When we found you, it was already starting to work."

"How did it work?" Bruce asked curiously. Was it Pepper's imagination, or did he look a little different, a little bit older suddenly?

"We don't know exactly," Dr. Jefferson replied, when Fury glanced at her. "It seems to have involved triggering the production of certain chemicals that the body slowly stops producing, such as hair color, and no longer producing other chemicals that don't appear in youths. It also seems to have blocked out many memories, although some of that is the brain's natural response. And it caused a complete regeneration of many cells, with old ones leaving the body through a sort of water from the skin. Kind of like sweating away your age."

Only Bruce seemed to have followed that. "Were there any harmful effects besides the blocking of our memories?"

"Most of you seem to be slightly off in terms of your ages physically and mentally, and Loki is one of the best examples of it. His mind's suppressed most of his memories, but he's still lived a long time, so living in the body of a seven-year-old or a 14-year-old doesn't feel normal. Mentally, he's much older, so his brain seems to be subconsciously trying to make an appropriate body with his shape-shifting abilities. Meanwhile, Thor, who is also much older than the other Avengers, seems to have reverted to the state of a young child, even though he's in the body of a 15-year-old. But on the other hand, Loki and Thor are Asgardian, so we don't know exactly how they develop."

"Actually, Loki is a frost giant-" Fury began, but Dr. Jefferson cut him off.

"I know, but the same idea applies."

"We used to be older," Natasha whispered. "That's why Clint has nightmares." She glanced at Loki and then quickly looked away. A single tear was running down Loki's cheek.

"Did you come to a decision about their guardianship?" Pepper asked. Hidden in her lap, one hand was clenched into a fist.

"You and Jane will continue to act as their guardians, at least for now. We've enrolled them in school – a special school where children of many S.H.I.E.L.D. attend. They're used to strange people there. I have paperwork for them. Hopefully, this will be only temporary, but as of right now, we are no closer to returning the Avengers to their previous state."

Pepper looked down at the papers Fury handed her. "Why am I guardian and aunt of Natasha, Steve, Thor, and Loki and Jane guardian of Tony, Bruce, and Clint? Wouldn't it make sense to have it the other way?"

"Mrs. Stark," Fury said sternly, and Pepper flinched. "If Thor is 15, Tony is already saying he wants to marry you, Clint and Natasha are inseparable, and none of them are aging right, I really don't want to have to redo the paperwork again if suddenly someone decides they want to publicly date their supposed relative. Are we done here?" Pepper nodded.

"Oh," Fury added, as Pepper led Natasha and Bruce toward the door. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has set up a bank account for the Avengers, so that you don't have to use up all of Tony's money. And don't forget to take Loki with you."

"Come on, Loki," Natasha coaxed, though she looked slightly distant and scared, as though still thinking about the fact that they'd once been older.

"I'm scared. I don't remember any of them," Loki whispered. Little Loki seemed nothing like teenage Loki had been, though he still scared Pepper, since she still couldn't forget what had happened when Loki had tried to take over Manhattan."

"It'll be okay," Natasha promised. "You have a brother. And you could have friends too." Natasha was different than she'd once been too, Pepper thought. She was younger, of course, but she also seemed to be less cold and more emotional. Maybe it was just because they were all younger and more innocent.

Pepper was surprised to find how sad that made her, that someday these children would be gone. She wanted Tony back, but she had come to love the little Avengers and their innocence too.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it...sorry if the explanations of the Avengers' aging wasn't very good, but I'm just a freshman in high school, so yeah.**

**Anyway, I know this chapter was mostly explanations and Loki angst, but the next chapter will be all mini avenger adorable-ness, so I hope that will make up for it. Speaking of which...if I get enough reviews, I might be persuaded to post the next chapter TOMORROW. If not, it'll be until Sunday or Monday, because I'll be out of town for the rest of the week and probably won't have access to an actual computer.**

**Thanks for reading, and remember: REVIEW! Love you guys:)**

**-DP**


	11. Chapter 10: Target

**A/N: Chapter 10, as promised! **

**I know from my own brothers that going shopping with little kids is a nightmare, but at least they've never been this bad... REVIEW please!**

**Love you guys! Enjoy!**

**-DP**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Target**

_Clint Barton (Hawkeye)_

The store wasn't too crowded, but it was big. Clint liked it though, because it had a picture of a bull's-eye in the name, and it reminded him of the little targets he shot his arrows at.

"WHAT IS THIS PLACE?" Thor exclaimed, seeming to forget to be quiet. Jane whispered something to him.

"I don't like it," Loki mumbled, looking scared. He looked over at Natasha with his wide green eyes, and Clint shifted protectively. He didn't like Loki.

"It's okay," Natasha soothed. "It's just a store. We're going to get clothes and school stuff, remember?" Loki nodded nervously.

"Pepper, can I get this?" Tony demanded, holding up some movie that he'd picked up from a shelf. Clint couldn't see the name, but he saw some people with guns. "Whoa, Clint, this guy looks like you!" Before Clint could get a good look, Pepper took the movie and put it back on the shelf.

"Hey!" Tony protested. "I wanted that!"

"Because I need more violent six-year-olds," Pepper muttered.

"Lady Pepper, what kind of Poptarts are those?" Thor asked excitedly, though he managed not to be too loud.

Pepper glanced at the box. "They apparently have Han Solo in carbonite on them," she said, sighing. Jane seemed amused, but no one else seemed to understand. "I'm glad to know that Han Solo contains eight vitamins and minerals," Pepper added.

"Lady Pepper, I do not understand," Thor said, frowning. "Is that supposed to be a man? Why I she in my Poptarts?"

"Never mind, Thor," Jane advised.

"So may I have the man-eating Poptarts?" Thor asked eagerly.

"Fine," Pepper sighed. "But only one box, do you understand?" Thor nodded happily and threw a box into the cart.

"But Thor doesn't share!" Tony whined.

"Tony, where's Steve? I told you to hold hands with him so that he didn't get lost," Pepper demanded, looking worried. Tony stuck his hands on his hips.

"I'm not holding hands with _Steve_," he protested.

"He's over here," Bruce called quietly. They hurried over to find Steve playing with some kind of cheap blue football next to a shelf of girls' clothes.

"I got lost," he told Pepper innocently.

"Steve-" Pepper began.

"What is _that_?" Thor demanded, pointing to some kind of girls' bathing suit. Natasha rolled her eyes.

"It's a swimsuit," she told him.

Thor looked confused. "Do Midgardians really wear that? It looks strange." He held it up. "And small. I do not think this would fit, Lady Natasha." He sounded genuinely concerned, and Natasha was giggling into Clint's shoulder. Loki had his head in his hands.

"Thor, that's what _girls_ wear," Tony told him smugly.

"Oh. That is good."

"Yes, well, why don't we start looking for clothes, since we're already in the area?" Jane suggested, and Pepper nodded her agreement. Natasha wandered over to look at a shirt, and Clint followed her. Behind them, he could hear Thor say, "Do you need one of those, Lady Jane?"

"Why is there so much pink?" Loki asked quietly. "Don't Midgardian girls wear any other colors?" Clint scowled as Loki glanced at Natasha, who was wearing all black.

"I guess a lot of girls wear pink," Natasha told him. Pepper walked over with Steve and the cart, while Jane led Thor, Tony, and Bruce in a different direction.

"Natasha, do you think you could pick up a few things to try on? Then we'll look at some stuff for the boys," Pepper suggested.

…

_Tony Stark (Iron Man)_

Tony was bored with shopping. And now Pepper was gone, so he didn't feel like trying to impress her by behaving. He grinned suddenly as an idea struck him.

"Hey, Bruce," he whispered. Bruce kept looking at a shirt Jane was showing him and didn't respond. "Bruce! Bruce!"

"What is it Tony?" Bruce asked with a sigh.

"We should sneak up on Thor and scare him," Tony whispered, grinning evilly.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no, Tony," Bruce told him, frowning. Tony scowled.

"You're no fun." So he went over to Thor, who was examining a leather jacket and tapped his shoulder. "Thor!"

"Why are you whispering?" Thor asked in a loud whisper. Jane glanced over her shoulder and shook her head at them before turning back to Bruce.

"Let's sneak up on Bruce and scare him," Tony suggested.

"I am not sure this is a good idea, Man of Iron. Doesn't that one turn into the big, green Hulk?" Thor looked curiously down at Tony, who tried to make himself taller. "What are you doing, Man of Iron? You look like there is someone poking your back, but there is no one there."

"Never mind. Why do you call me 'Man of Iron'?" Tony asked quickly.

"I do not know. But it sounds noble."

"Awesome. So can we sneak up on Bruce now? Be really quiet and then jump on him and yell 'boo!'" Tony looked up hopefully.

"Alright, Man of Iron. I will humor you and play your little game."

"Right. Okay, 3, 2, 1…Boo!" Tony jumped on Bruce, who yelped.

"Tony! What was that for?" Bruce asked, frowning. "We're supposed to behave, remember? Pepper said so. And so did Jane."

Tony wasn't listening. "Thor!" he hissed angrily.

"Was I supposed to go?" At Tony's furious nod, he launched himself forward yelling, "BOO!"

Down went Bruce. Down went Thor. Down went the rack of clothing behind them, and Tony covered his ears at the loud crash, wincing. He was going to be in so much trouble…

Bruce was starting to turn green. "What. Was. That. For?"

"It was Man of Iron's idea. I apologize," Thor told him from his position on Bruce's stomach.

"TONY!" Bruce shouted.

"Uh…sorry," he said insincerely. He glanced around for a distraction. "Uh…Dorito?"

Bruce roared. "HULK NO WANT DORITO!"

"You really need to work on your grammar," Tony commented.

"HULK SMASH TONY AND GRAMMAR!"

Well, Tony thought as he backed away from the roaring green rage monster, Pepper always said his mouth would be the death of him. Or had she said the death of her?

…

_Clint Barton (Hawkeye)_

He heard roaring suddenly, and recognized it immediately as Bruce. "Uh, Tasha," he called. "We have a Hulk problem."

"Let's go find Bruce," she agreed.

By the time they found him, Tony lay in a pile of smashed Doritos and Steve was waving his shield around and yelling, "Bad Hulk! No, no!"

"Do not smash him, green man," Thor agreed. "He is a friend. And so are you."

"Bruce, calm down," Natasha told him soothingly. "Tony isn't worth it, he's just a stupid little kid who gets in trouble a lot. Don't let him make you angry." The hulk snorted.

"Hey!" Tony protested. "I'm a genius…billionaire…uh, something," he trailed off, scratching his head. "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philo…phila…" He shook his head and mumbled to himself.

Eventually, Bruce calmed down, and Jane helped get dressed before quickly leaving the store, while Pepper talked to a man in a red shirt who looked important. She looked embarrassed, and kept saying she was sorry.

"Where is Loki?" Thor demanded. "Where is my brother?"

After searching through what felt like the entire store, they finally found him, hiding in a freezer of ice cream. Clint decided then that his day was complete, and he was never going shopping again.


	12. Chapter 11: Back to School

**Chapter 11: Back to School**

_Clint Barton_

"I don't like it," Clint complained.

Jane sighed and muttered something that sounded like, "Big surprise." Then she took a deep breath and said calmly, "Clint, just get in the car."

"Why can't I sit next to Tasha?" He glanced at where Natasha sat on the far side of the car in her carseat, then at Loki, who sat next to her. "I don't trust Loki," he whispered.

"It'll be fine, I promise," Jane told him. "Anyway, we'll get to school quickly."

They were going to a special school for "S.H.I.E.L.D kids," whatever those were. Clint was going to be in first grade with Natasha and Loki. Steve was going to be in kindergarten. Tony and Bruce were going to be in second grade and take special math and science classes. And Thor... Clint frowned. He wasn't even sure where Thor would be.

"Fine," Clint sighed. He hopped onto his booster seat. "No! I can do it myself," he insisted, grabbing the seatbelt from Jane's hand. She sighed and got into the driver's seat.

"Please behave," Pepper pleaded. She was standing next to the car with her arms crossed because there were only eight seats.

"WE WILL, LADY PEPPER!" Thor boomed. He was already going through his lunch bag. "Jane, are you sure this is enough food?" he asked as they pulled out of the garage. The guy never stopped eating.

Clint twisted around in his seat instead of listening to Jane's answer. Bruce was being boring and reading a book and Steve was playing quietly with some superhero action figure, but Tony looked just as bored as Clint. Tony glanced up and met Clint's eyes, grinning, and held up the toy in his hand. It was some kind of remote-control bug, which leaned forward and placed next to Loki's head.

"What are the other kids like?" Loki was asking Natasha, when he suddenly froze and whimpered a little.

Clint hid a little smile, watching Loki stare at the bug, which was now crawling down his arm in a lazy way, obviously scaring the other boy. Loki flinched and tried to flick the bug off, but it just landed on Thor's armrest right in front of him.

"Brother?" Loki asked quietly.

Thor spun around eagerly. "YES?"

"Kill the bug," Loki whispered.

There was really no hope for the bug, Clint thought regretfully. He looked back at Tony and saw his friend frantically trying to steer the bug away, but Thor's fist smashed it into a mechanical mush. The loss of entertainment was made up for by Tony's horrified face, though.

...

_Bruce Banner_

As soon as he had entered the school building, Bruce had remembered what home felt like. Finally, he would be able to learn and study without being told he was being boring and should go play Legos with Steve or robots with Tony...

Now he sat in the front of the classroom between Tony and an older girl who looked weirdly familiar. In fact, almost all of the other students were a few years older because classes were based mostly on test scores and ability instead of age. It was weird.

Actually, Bruce was more annoyed than he would admit that Tony was there too, since he acted so much younger sometimes. And it was stressful enough without constantly telling Tony to stop goofing off.

"Do I know you?" Tony asked suddenly, frowning and completely ignoring the math worksheet in front of him.

"Tell me you're joking," Bruce sighed.

"Not you, her," Tony said, scowling and pointing to the girl next to Bruce. She had red hair and lots of freckles, but Bruce had no idea who she was.

At that moment, the girl looked up and a stray curl fell in her eyes as she frowned at Tony. "That's so creepy," she said, before going back to her work.

Bruce turned to look at Tony, wondering what he'd done _this_ time, but Tony looked just as confused. Then he started talking to himself.

"Claire? Clara? No...was it...? No, it was...Clarisse?"

"That's my name," the girl said suspiciously. "What do you want?"

Bruce looked back and forth between them. "Uh, Tony, why don't you leave her alone? She seems dangerous."

"Okay," Tony said, but when math class ended and they were sent to their next class, he was still complaining that he couldn't figure out where he remembered her from.

...

_Tony Stark_

"I can't believe I'm stuck with you," Clint complained for the hundredth time.

"Shut up," Tony sighed. "I don't know why I'm here either."

"You had all those options," Clint continued, "and you picked archery? You couldn't hit the target if it walked up to you and bit you on the nose!"

"I'll ask Pepper to switch me to something else," Tony muttered. "She likes me." He paused, then added resentfully, "At least someone does."

"Sorry, Tony," Clint said, and he sounded honest, "it's not really your fault."

Tony shrugged. "Natasha would've hit me and Bruce would've talked to me like I was two. So maybe I _should_ stay with you."

Clint drew an arrow and fired at the farthest target, hitting it right in the middle. Tony aimed at the closest target, missed completely, and looked around to make sure he hadn't hit anyone.

Clint laughed. "Yeah, you're amazing."

"Hey!" Tony protested, a little hurt by mocking tone in Clint's voice.

"Sorry," Clint said again, this time sounded upset himself. "I'm just in a bad mood today."

"Why?" Tony asked curiously. He raised one eyebrow, just because he could. "Did your girlfriend break up with you?" He prepared to be hit, but Clint just have him a sad sort of look.

"She's not my girlfriend, stupid," he said, but he wasn't very convincing.

Tony immediately felt guilty. "Sorry, Clint. What's wrong? No teasing, I promise."

Clint sighed. "Natasha keeps picking _him_."

"Loki?" Tony guessed, looking over at where Nastaha and Loki were doing gymnastics with some other kids.

"Yeah. I hate him." Clint looked angry. "I don't know why. He did something bad, but I don't remember it. It gives me nightmares and Natasha is the only one who can help and now he's taking her too."

...

_Clint Barton_

"How was school?" Pepper asked as soon as they got in the car.

"Great," Clint muttered, but he didnt think she heard him over everyone else. Actually, everyone else was talking excitedly except him and Tony.

"Pepper," Tony asked suddenly, "do I know anybody named Phil or Clarisse?"

Clint was suddenly flung against his seatbelt as Pepper almost crashed the car, and Pepper asked quietly, "Phil Coulson?"

"No. I don't think so."

"I don't know," Pepper said.

"Liar," Natasha whispered in Clint's ear. It was the first time she had said anything to him all day.

Tony frowned. "Oh. I thought..." He started to say something, then stopped and flicked Steve in the head.

"Well then you're already wrong, Tony," Natasha said seriously. "You don't think."

Bruce laughed. "She has a point."

"If I don't think, then how did I get a better score than you on the math test?" Tony demanded.

"Does anyone have any more Doritos?" Thor asked in the sudden silence. "I appear to have run out."

"We'll get some more when we get home," Pepper promised.

There was a sudden cry of, "Tony!" and Clint spun around to see Tony trying to wrestle some action figure from Steve's hands. "Give it back!" Steve cried.

Clint glanced at Natasha. "Help Steve?" He asked, and she nodded and wiggled out of her seatbelt. Then she climbed into the backseat and began hitting Tony's hand and pulling on the toy.

"Natasha!" Pepper exclaimed as Clint undid his seatbelt and climbed after her. "Clint!"

"Sorry, Pepper," Natasha said, handing the toy to Steve and getting back into her seat. It was some kind of man in red armor and Clint thought it was called Iron Man, but he wasn't sure.

Clint climbed slowly back into his booster seat, not even hearing Pepper's lecture.

_She doesn't need me._ He didn't know why he thought that, but suddenly he felt like he was about to cry because of it.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry this is so late and not that long and not as interesting as some of the other chapters... I _promise_ I will update again soon (as in sometime in the next week or so). And if I get a lot of reviews, I will update even sooner.**

**So if you're still reading...please let me know what you think and if you have any criticisms or requests. **

**I love you guys!**

**-DP**


	13. Chapter 12: Sounds of the Seasons

**A/N: So I will try to get the next chapter up this week, but I haven't written it yet, so no promises. Soon, though.  
**

**Two notes:**

**1- No Loki/Natasha shipping, I promise, but Clint has some issues he needs to work out and there's a lot of tension between them. I promise there'll be clintasha happiness in chapter 13.**

**2- I know it's not actually winter right now, but this is where the story is at, so yeah..Christmas in July? Also, sorry if you don't celebrate Christmas; I don't mean to offend anyone.**

**So that is all. Could you guys all review? ;) We're so close to 100...  
**

**Love you all!**

**-DP**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Sounds of the Seasons**

_Loki Laufeyson_

"Pepper!"

"JANE!"

From the corner, Loki watched Tony and Thor's argument. He didn't even know what they were arguing about, only that they would yell at him if they found him. But he couldn't help peeking out around the shelf to watch.

"Are you spying, Loki?"

Loki jumped and looked up. Clint was lying on top of the shelf with his bow and glaring down. Clint, the one who hated him.

"No! I'm not spying. Are you?"

"The hawk is watching," Clint said in a creepy voice.

"If the hawk wants cookies, there are some on the table," Pepper called from the kitchen. "In fact, there are some for everyone."

Clint began to climb down. "Clint!" Loki asked nervously.

"Yeah?"

"What did I ever do to you?"

Clint climbed the rest of the way down and walked over to Loki. He was taller and Loki had to look up to see him, which felt wrong and annoyed Loki enough that he wasn't scared anymore.

"I don't know what you did at first," Clint admitted. "But then you took Tasha." He glared and walked away.

Loki stared after him. "I'm sorry, Clint," he whispered. "I didn't take anyone. I just wanted a friend."

"Loki? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Natasha," he told her, trying to smile. He could still see Clint's face in his head though. "Do you want to get cookies? I think Pepper has some."

Natasha smiled. "Okay. Let's go."

Loki wished he could just be happy because he had a friend now, but then they walked past Clint, and he just couldn't. Because his friend wasn't really his, she just someone stolen from Clint. And now Loki had an enemy.

…

"What were all the decorations for?" Loki asked.

Natasha glanced at him. "The Christmas decorations?"

Loki frowned. "Natasha, what's Christmas? Someone at school mentioned it too and I don't understand."

"It's a holiday, Loki," Pepper said, smiling across the table. "Not everyone celebrates it, but for Christmas, people give each other presents. I was thinking we could celebrate it; what do you think?"

"Yes?" Loki said hesitantly.

"Pepper," Bruce said, frowning, "isn't there a little more to it than just presents?"

"Yeah, Santa Claus," Tony said, and Pepper laughed.

Thor was frowning too. "Lady Pepper, what claws are these? And what to they have to do with giving people presents?"

"Well, yes, Bruce, there is a little more to it than that, but I don't think we need to go into too much detail this year," Pepper told him. "And Thor, Santa Claus is a person. He flies around the world in a sleigh and leaves presents for kids." Pepper glanced at Jane who was trying not to laugh.

"With reindeer!" Steve added.

"What do you mean?" Loki asked.

Steve stared at him. "Reindeer. Like other deer, but they can fly. They pull Santa's sleigh. We used to leave them carrots to eat."

"Loki doesn't know anything about Christmas or reindeer, Steve," Clint told him. "Don't worry, I think it's weird too."

"Stop it, Clint." The whole table turned to stare at Natasha. "Don't make fun of him," she said, staring at Clint. "It's not his fault. None of it."

"It's always been his fault," Clint told her, looking angry and hurt and scared all at the same time. They glared at each other for a minute, and then Clint stood up and left. Loki noticed he hadn't eaten any of his dinner.

Natasha seemed have finally noticed that everyone was staring at her. "It's not his fault," she said again. She looked sideways at Loki. "You shouldn't have to put up with that."

"It's okay," Loki muttered, staring across the table at Clint's full plate, then down at his. "Pepper, may I be excused?"

Pepper glanced at his full plate and hesitated. Then she glanced at Clint's empty seat and nodded. Loki fled the table, but stood just out of sight in the other room to listen, because he knew they would talk if he wasn't there.

"Can I be excused?"

"It's 'may I be excused,' Tony. Even Loki has better grammar than you."

"Shut up, Bruce."

"Both of you, hush. And no, you may not, Tony."

But then no one said anything else, so Loki decided to just go to his room, where he could be lonely and not get caught. He sighed and started down the hallway.

"I guess you're happy now."

Loki froze and spotted Clint standing in the shadows. He thought the other boy might've been crying, but he wasn't sure.

"She's officially on your side."

"I'm not happy," Loki said quietly.

Clint laughed, but it was a kind of sad laugh. "Good."

"She's your friend," Loki said, "not mine. No one actually likes me, but they like you. You don't have to worry."

"You heard her, right? She picked you, not me."

Loki shook his head. "No. No, she's your friend." He didn't know why it was so important to tell Clint this.

"Stop lying," Clint whispered. He walked toward Loki and stopped. Then he shoved Loki, hard, and ran away. But Loki just sat there on the ground and eventually fell into a sleep filled with nightmares about blue cubes and Asgard.

…

_Tony Stark_

"Loki?" Tony called. "Clint? Pepper says we're going to go out and buy a tree and some new ornaments! Come on!"

"Coming!" Clint yelled. Then, a minute later, he started screaming. "Tony! Pepper! Jane!"

Tony ran down the dark hall and tripped over what felt like a person, and ran into a second person. "Ow. Clint, what's going on?"

"It's Loki. I think he's hurt and I think it's my fault," Clint said, sounding panicked. "Loki, wake up. Wake up!"

"Clint? What's wrong?" Loki mumbled sleepily.

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"J.A.R.V.I.S., lights!" Tony called, and they came on. He yelped in shock. "Loki, there's blood in your hair. What happened?"

"I don't know…" Loki seemed confused, not hurt. "I guess I hit my head on something. But it's fine now."

"It's my fault," Clint muttered.

"It's not," Loki insisted. And I'm fine."

"Pepper!" Tony yelled, and finally she came, like she always had. Because Pepper always came when they needed her.

…

_Loki Laufeyson_

Shopping for ornaments would've been more fun if Pepper and Jane hadn't been watching him like he might suddenly faint or throw up or start bleeding for no reason. It wasn't like he'd actually been hurt. Under the little bit of blood, Loki's head had been fine, and Jane had suggested something about "Asgardian healing abilities" that Loki hadn't understood.

"How 'bout that one?" Tony suggested, pointing at a curved red and white stick. "Or that one?" He pointed at huge gold star.

"LADY JANE!" Thor shouted. "LOOK AT THAT ONE!" It was a cat with a weird red and white hat on its head.

"_That one had a bow_!" Clint said eagerly, jumping up and down.

"Pepper, can I get the snowflake one?" Natasha asked. "Please? It's really pretty and I promise I won't break it."

"Pepper, Pepper, Pepper!" Steve looked even more excited than the others. "Pepper, I found my shield!"

"Loki, I found the perfect one for you!" Tony said suddenly.

"Really?" Loki asked, wondering if he was being made fun of. Tony nodded eagerly and Loki walked over to see what had him so excited.

"For you, reindeer games," Tony said, and gave Loki the ornament. "See? It's a reindeer, just like you. The horns are called antlers."

Loki studied the little creature. "I like it," he decided. "The 'antlers' are perfect."


	14. Chapter 13: A Merry Christmas

**A/N: I'm sorry this is so late...hopefully I can make it up to you with an extra-long chapter of adorableness. **

**So, I do have a plan as to where I'm going to take this, but it involves skipping to an older age in a few chapters so that I can develop their relationships as teenagers before they find a solution, and I don't know how you guys feel about that. Let me know your thoughts...and I can post a preview of sorts in the author's note if you want. I would love to follow the storyline I came up with, but if you guys just want more little Avenger stuff, I can do that too. So...review? We're so close to a hundred reviews and I love to hear your input.**

**Alright, that's it. Enjoy!**

**-DP**

**PS- if we can get to a hundred reviews I'll make sure the next chapter is up by the end of the week, so review away! **

* * *

**Chapter 13: A Merry Christmas**

_Steve Rogers (Captain America)_

Steve stared at the pile of presents under the Christmas tree and, after looking over his shoulder to see if Pepper was watching, he began looking at the tags to see if there were any for him. He wasn't going to open them…he just wanted to see.

"Steven Rogers!"

Steve jumped and spun around, tripped over a present, and landed on the floor. "Tony!" he yelped.

"Relax, I won't tell Pepper. Probably," Tony said, grinning. "Is there anything for me?" Steve just glared up at Tony with his arms crossed, waiting, and finally Tony gave in. "Okay, I'm sorry, little guy. Now tell me, is there anything for me?"

Steve shrugged. He still mixed up "Tony" and "Thor" a lot, so he wasn't sure. "I found one for Tasha," he offered. "Natasha" was easily to recognize.

"I don't care about Natasha's presents," Tony complained. "Unless they're better than mine. Then I care." He started digging.

"Tony Stark!" Natasha said loudly. "Looking at presents before Christmas? You should be ashamed!" She and Loki stood in the doorway, her crossing her arms and him staring with wide eyes, and she sounded so much like Pepper that Steve actually felt a little scared.

Tony looked over at Natasha nervously. "Well, Tasha, I wasn't _really_ looking, just doing a routine check…"

"You mean you've done this before?"

Tony looked away guiltily. "Um." He looked at Steve for help, but Steve just shrugged. "It's my house!" he burst out, and Natasha raised an eyebrow at him. "It has my name on it," he mumbled.

"Actually, I think it's my house," Pepper said loudly, walking in with a tray. Steve saw cookies, a cup of milk, and carrots, and felt his stomach grumble. "Someone go find Bruce, Thor, and Clint," she said, and Steve and Tony raced each other to the door.

Steve lost. Tony stuck out his tongue.

Steve walked down to Clint's room and knocked on the door. "Clint? Pepper wants to see you." He waited.

The door opened and Clint peered out, frowning. "What do you want, Steve?"

"Pepper wants you. I think we're putting stuff out for Santa," Steve said hopefully. "Will you come out? Please, Clint? Please?"

Clint sighed. "Fine. Okay. I'm coming."

"Yay, yay, yay!" Steve said happily. "C'mon!" He pulled Clint down the hall to where everyone else stood near the Christmas tree. "I found Clint," he announced. Pepper smiled a little.

"That's great."

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Thor shouted, and Steve jumped.

"Calm down, big guy," Bruce told him, frowning. He, Thor, and Tony walked over, and Jane joined them a minute later with a camera.

Tony frowned. "What do you need a camera for?" Then, "Take my picture, Jane!" He stood on his tiptoes and smiled weirdly, making Steve giggle. Tony was so _weird_ sometimes, and Steve didn't understand why he was like that, but it was funny.

Natasha rolled her eyes "Who would want to take pictures of you?"

Tony frowned. "Everyone loves me. Who wouldn't want a picture of Tony Stark? Seriously."

"Pepper, I hope you got Tony a mirror for Christmas," Natasha said seriously. "I don't know how he's lived without being able to constantly admire himself."

Pepper looked like she was trying not to laugh. "Okay now. No fighting," she said, and Tony sighed. "We're going to set the treats out by the tree and Jane will take a picture of all of you. Then it's bedtime."

Steve groaned with everyone else. "But, Pepper, I don't like bedtime," Clint protested. "Shouldn't Steve go to bed before everyone else 'cause he's younger?"

"Hey!" Steve protested.

"Exactly," Tony said. "Natasha and Loki too."

Natasha glared at him, and Tony backed away. Then Thor spoke and everyone jumped.

"I LIKE THIS PLAN VERY MUCH, CLINTON."

Bruce snorted. "Of course you do. But bedtime isn't that bad, right? I mean…" He glanced at Pepper. "There'll be presents when we wake up in the morning."

"But I want presents now," Tony complained.

"Well, you can't always have what you want, can you?" Natasha snapped.

Steve frowned as he thought about that. "Yeah. What Tasha said. 'Cept…can I have a cookie?" He wasn't sure why Pepper and Jane started laughing.

…

_Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow)_

Natasha couldn't sleep.

She looked at the clock and saw that it said 12:10, which was bad, because it was too late for her to be up. But it was too hot with her blankets on and too cold with them off, and every time she closed her eyes she found that she wasn't tired anymore. So, finally she just lay there, wishing she could talk to Clint.

She slipped silently out of bed and tiptoed out of her room and down to Clint's. The door was unlocked, because that was Pepper's rule at night, so she walked in easily. She worried for a minute that he was asleep, but then he sat up.

"Clint?" she whispered.

"What is it, Nat?"

"I can't sleep," she admitted, climbing onto the end of his bed. "I don't know why."

The nightlight wasn't bright enough for her to really see his face, but she thought he seemed different then he had been lately. Not as grumpy. She hoped it would last – she missed her best friend.

"Why did you come here and not to Loki?" Clint asked suddenly, and Natasha winced.

She sighed. "Clint, Loki's my friend, but you're my best friend. He needs someone to be nice to him, and I thought you would understand, because you've always understood…everything," she admitted. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Clint was silent for a minute. "It felt like you were picking him," he said finally. Natasha crawled over to him and was surprised at how upset he looked. She hugged him.

"Can't I be friends with both of you?" she asked.

"I…don't know," Clint admitted. "I don't really like Loki. He scares me – remember the dreams? They haven't gone away." He was quiet. "But I can try. For you," he said finally, and she smiled.

Clint lay back down and Natasha curled up next to him, glad things were back to normal. "Merry Christmas, Clint," she whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Nat."

Just before she fell asleep, Natasha felt Clint's hand curl around hers, and she felt safe.

She woke up to excited shouting, then banging on the door.

"WAKE UP!"

"Wake up, wake up; it's Christmas!" Tony shouted. He flung the door open. "Clint, Tasha, come _on!"_ He was bouncing up and down with Steve and they were both grinning like maniacs.

Natasha groaned and sat up. "Okay, okay. I'm awake, you guys."

"Get up! Please, Tasha? Please, Clint?" Steve begged. "Pepper's not letting us see the presents till everyone's up."

Natasha smiled a little at the look on Steve's face. "I'm up," she promised, rolling out of the bed. "Come on, Clint," she told him," and he got up reluctantly. "Where are Bruce and Loki?" she asked.

"We're getting them next!" Tony said impatiently. "Come on!"

"BRUCE! LOKI!" Thor yelled, as they all hurried out of the room.

Loki stumbled out of his room sleepily and took his place next to Natasha. It was strange to have him on one side and Clint on the other, but for once they weren't fighting, which was good. Bruce was harder to get up, but finally he joined them, and the seven kids hurried over to the living room, where Pepper and Jane stood in the doorway.

"Pictures," Jane said, smiling slightly. Natasha put one arm over Clint's shoulder and one over Loki's and they all smiled up at the camera.

"Thanks," she whispered to Clint, and kissed him on the cheek, making him go kind of pink. For some reason, even Loki seemed happier after that.

The presents had been sorted into piles, and Tony immediately ran over to his, still bouncing. He waited impatiently for everyone to find their piles, the whole time asking Pepper if he could start opening them yet and being denied. Finally, Pepper nodded, and they all started ripping the paper off of stuff.

While Tony and Thor excitedly yelled out what they had just opened ("A remote-controlled helicopter!" "A MAGNIFICENT CAPE!" "The new Nerf gun I wanted!" "WHAT IS THIS?"), Steve played happily with the first thing he'd opened (some new Lego toy), and the rest of them talked quietly as they opened things.

"That's a football," Clint told Thor, looking amused.

"WEIRD!"

Loki tapped Natasha's arm. "What's this?"

Natasha looked at the toy he'd just opened. "It's a bunch of foam cubes that you have to put together. You'll like it – it's a kind of puzzle." Loki nodded and Natasha smiled. Loki and Bruce especially loved puzzles and stuff that took a lot of time and thinking.

"Tasha, look," Clint said eagerly. He held up the new bow and arrows he'd gotten. They were bigger than the last the last set, which was good, because Clint had gotten too big for the last bow. Natasha showed Clint the movies she'd unwrapped, and he nodded in approval.

"Tasha, Clint, look!" Loki exclaimed. They both turn and found him staring adoringly at the stuffed penguin he'd just unwrapped and petting the fluffy fur. "It is adorable!" he proclaimed, sounding a bit like Thor for a moment. He hugged it and smiled. "It's a penguin, right? I saw it in a Midgardian book."

Natasha nodded. "Yeah."

Clint was smiling. "Are you going to name it?"

Loki looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose I will. Perhaps I will name it Odin, since the name has been on my mind," he said, with a glance at Thor.

"YOU ARE NAMING A PENGUIN AFTER THE ALL-FATHER?" Thor demanded, seeming shocked. When Loki smiled, he nodded gravely. "I APPROVE, BROTHER. ODIN IT MUST BE."

After opening presents, they played for a while and Pepper eventually put on one of the new movies (_Brave_, which Clint approved of because of the archery) and put a bunch of beach towels out in the living room so that they could eat sticky cinnamon rolls in front of the TV as a treat. Loki very careful put Odin on the sofa so that he wouldn't get sticky.

"THESE ARE AMAZING," Thor proclaimed. "Although I do not understand this movie," he added Loki in what was probably supposed to be a whisper.

Tony was frowning at the screen. Then he let out a sudden laugh that made them all jump and turn to stare at him.

"You know, I just realized," he began, with a glance at Natasha and Clint, "if Tasha and Clint had a kid it would be just like Merida. Seriously."

Natasha thought she saw Clint's hand twitch toward his new bow, but he seemed to decide that shooting Tony wasn't worth getting it sticky. "Don't even go there, Tony," he said instead. Tony just laughed.

"He's right," Loki said suddenly, a sly grin on his face. "It's perfect."

Tony grinned back. "High-five, Reindeer Games," he said, and the two high-fived and then bumped fists, which Natasha thought was probably the scariest thing she'd ever seen.

Bruce surprised them by commenting, "Well, the weird prince is just like Tony."

"Hey! I'm nothing like any of them!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm one of the scary little triplet boys!" Natasha burst out laughing at that and Tony scowled. "The other ones are Loki and Steve."

"I don't understand," Steve said, frowning. "I don't look like them. Neither does Loki or Tony."

"Don't try to understand Tony, Steve," Bruce told him. "It never turns out well." Steve nodded solemnly.

"HA!" Thor said suddenly. "THE FOOLISH GIRL HAS TURNED HER MOTHER INTO A BEAR! THAT WILL TEACH YOU NOT TO MESS WITH MAGIC, BROTHER!"

"That was one time!" Loki protested, and the others all glanced at each other worriedly, not wanting to ask who Loki had turned into a bear.


	15. Chapter 14: Little Avengers

**A/N: As promised (although why I am on at 1 AM is beyond me...). It's a little short and a little random, but there's lots of little Avenger adorableness.**

**On another note, I got a Facebook page for my author profile, since I write other stuff too, although I haven't exactly done anything with it yet... Anyway, the URL ** darkprincessofdaydreaming **and it would mean a lot to me if you guys would like it and check it out...I will post short oneshots on request if you do ;) I know I had a request for the Avengers watching The Avengers, if nothing else.**

**Oh, and that preview of the avengers after they grow a little and become teens will be at the end of the chapter :)**

**Enjoy! (And please, please review! I will love you forever!)**

**-DP**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Little Avengers**

_Loki Laufeyson_

Loki lay in the fort with Tasha and Clint, staring up at the white sheet above their heads. He figured Pepper probably thought they were asleep, but they'd snuck back out of their rooms, since it had felt too early to sleep yet.

"What do you think it's like to be a grownup?" Clint asked suddenly, yawning.

Loki thought about it. If you were a grownup, you could do whatever you wanted, right? Except… He frowned. Pepper and Jane didn't do whatever they wanted, because why would anyone want to take care of Tony? Or Steve? Or…any of them? No, Pepper and Jane definitely didn't do whatever they wanted, but was it just them who didn't or was it all grownups?

"No one tells you to eat your vegetables," Tasha said sleepily. "And you can go places on your own. Why?"

"I had a funny dream," Clint said quietly. "I was a grownup and you guys were too. And Tony…and Thor…and Bruce…and Steve…"

Tasha poked him. "Get to the point already," she complained.

"Ow," Clint said. "Don't be mean, Tasha."

Loki rolled his eyes the way Tony did when Pepper told him no. "Guys, stop it. I wanna hear about Clint's dream, okay?"

"There wasn't much more," Clint said after a minute, "but it felt happy, and there was food… I dunno. It was good. A good change from the nightmares." Loki frowned, and Natasha shifted.

Loki waited, but Clint didn't say anything else. "What nightmares?" he asked finally.

"About before. There are always voices and blue, lots of blue…there's a cube thing and a spear and…" he trailed off. "And you," he said finally, sitting up and looking at Loki.

"Me?" Loki sat up too.

Clint nodded seriously. "That's why I hated you before. Sort of. I mean, in the dreams you're different…older…but it's definitely you and it kinda scares me. 'Cause you're always the bad guy." He shrugged. "Sometimes Tasha hits me on the head, but it never seems like a bad thing."

Now Tasha sat up. "You didn't tell me that."

"Sorry," Clint told her. He shrugged again. "They're getting a little better now, but I still hate them."

"I had a dream once that Steve attacked me," Loki said suddenly, and the other two stared at him. "He had his shield and I had a spear. There were a lot of people kneeling, which was kind of cool, but it all looks blue."

"Blue?" Clint demanded.

Loki nodded.

"Me too. Everything bad is blue."

Tasha frowned. "So blue is bad. But why?"

Clint shrugged. "I don't know. "

"I don't understand why Steve likes blue," Loki muttered, and Tasha frowned. "It hurts my head."

* * *

"Do I have to wear this?" Loki complained, and Pepper nodded firmly.

"Yes, and you have no choice in the matter. Now come on, I have to check on the others, and you should see yourself in the mirror first."

Loki walked into the bathroom and stood on the stool to he himself better. He was still staring at himself when Tony walked in a few minutes later, saw him, and started laughing so hard Loki wondered should call Pepper or that 9-1-1 thing or something.

"What is it, Tony?" Loki asked grumpily.

Tony was crying he was laughing so much. "Do you see yourself, Reindeer Games?"

Loki glared back, then started laughing himself when he saw Tony's outfit. "Do _you_ see yourself, Metal Man?"

They both glared at each other for a minute, and then they were suddenly falling into each other and laughing, only managing a few words:

"What was Pepper thinking?"

"When Tasha sees-"

"I can't wait to see Steve-"

"I cannot believe it-"

Steve stuck his head into the bathroom and frowned up at them. "Pepper says to hurry up," he informed them. He stared for a minute before leaving, commenting, "You guys look funny."

When Steve was gone, Loki and Tony looked at each other again. "AM I the only one that noticed his bow-tie?" Loki asked quietly.

They joined the others in the living room, and Loki studied everyone's clothes in amusement. There was Steve, who was wearing light pants and a – plaid? – shirt and a bow-tie, who looked the funniest. And then Tony, with his weird collared shirt and that red sweater vest thing. Of course, Thor just looked out of place, because he belonged in Asgardian clothes, not a human tuxedo thing that Jane had forced him into. Bruce looked grown-up. Clint was wearing a purple shirt, so Loki doubted he cared what he looked like, but he himself was wearing the exact same thing in green and felt ridiculous. Tasha looked pretty though, 'cause she was wearing a black dress. No stupid tie like Loki.

"Stop staring Clint, you look like a fish," Tasha told him as Loki walked over. She smirked. "Oh, look, you guys match." She started giggling furiously and Loki and Clint looked at her with identical scowls.

They drove to the picture place in two different cars, since they couldn't all fit in one, so Loki rode with Tasha, Clint, Steve, and Pepper in the bigger car. Loki spent the whole time staring out the window at all of the people walking in the city streets. He also noticed that when they got out of the car and walked into the building, a bunch of people stared.

"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS PLACE," Thor announced and Loki winced. Thankfully, his big brother was quieter after that, and started asking Jane about the big sheets hanging from some of the walls and the large blocks and other toys that they saw kids posing with for pictures.

"How many?" a woman asked Pepper, looking at them suspiciously, and Loki found himself wondering why she couldn't just count to nine. After that, a man with a camera took them into the back so that they could stand in front of a different white sheet.

He took a bunch of pictures of all of them together and some without Pepper and Jane. Loki was told several times to smile, Thor kept having to duck, and Tony kept blocking other people.

"Would you like individuals as well?" the man asked, and Pepper nodded.

"Oh, why not? They'll never be this cute again."

Tony was first, of course. The man made him sit on a giant block, in a toy airplane, and with a pair of sunglasses on, which made Tony look even more ridiculous than he already was. When his turn was over, Tony whined a lot about the camera wanting more of him, while Bruce tried to get out of having his picture taken, and they got into a slightly violent fight with the airplane.

Loki's favorite part was when the cameraman made Tasha and Clint pose with a giant Teddy bear. "Can you hug the lady?" the man asked Clint, who nodded and happily put his arms around Tasha. "Why don't you guys sit on the bear?" Then, " Hold hands and smile for the camera!"

Loki and Tony would make fun of them for it the whole way home.

For the rest of the time they were there, the seven kids stared over Pepper's shoulder at the screen where she was picking out which ones she wanted. Jane occasionally pointed one out as well.

"LOOK AT METAL MAN'S FACE!" Thor exclaimed, stabbing the screen with his finger. Loki thought the woman helping them looked like she was in pain.

Steve giggled. "He looks so _funny_." Tasha ruffled the little guy's hair.

"You should get that picture, Pepper," she said, and Pepper laughed. Bruce and Steve nodded their agreement.

"Can we skip to the ones with Tasha and Clint?" Tony asked evilly, grinning at the two. "Tasha and her little boyfriend…"

"Hey!" they both shouted.

Clint glared at him. "I'm not little!"

"He's not my boyfriend," Tasha snapped, crossing her arms. Tony rolled his eyes, and Bruce and Loki exchanged a smile. Thor frowned slightly and looked like he was going to say something, but then Steve started giggling again.

"Tasha's little boyfriend," he repeated. "Oh, Tony…" He started giggling again and Loki decided that he liked the younger boy.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, and here's that preview (though I promise a couple more little kid chapters first):**

It's six years later, and the little Avengers have all aged about twice that much, though their growth is finally slowing down. But even though they all now know the basic truth of their past, life is not as smooth as it should be...

Clint can't sleep - once again he's plagued by nightmares of his past...but also haunted by whispers of a dark future to come. He and Natasha are finally dating now, and she is a comfort, but Tasha will soon discover a shocking secret of her own that will change all of their lives. She's also become close to Steve and Loki, who are the younger brothers she never had. But as Loki attempts to make amends for the many wrongs he's committed and Steve and Thor - now a probationary S.H.I.E.L.D. agent - become involved in a cold case with personal ties to Steve with local law enforcement, the glue holding them together begins to weaken.

Meanwhile, in the other side of the Avengers' extended family, Bruce is about to travel overseas to continue his medical training. Tony is torn between an offer from S.H.I.E.L.D. in regards to his new Iron Man suit and a recently-discovered familial tie keeping him in Manhattan. Pepper is stuck. Unaging. And while it could be considered a good thing for the time being, it is becoming alarmin and comes with a doctor's warning. Only Jane - once again a scientist and dating Thor - seems to have found her happy ending.

Former Agent Tessa Trundle, the one who caused all this, is nowhere to be found...does the anti-aging have a cure?

**I think that accounts for everyone. But I'm still happy to hear ideas. Hope you enjoyed!**

**-DP**


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